1. ADVANCING IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE
Seventh Ministerial Conference
“Environment for Europe”
Astana (Kazakhstan), September / October 2011
&
Fourth Regional Implementation Meeting
on Sustainable Development
Geneva, 1-2 December 2009
Presentation by
Environment for Europe and Sustainable Development Team
Environment, Housing and Land Management Division, UNECE

2. “Environment for Europe” process
a high-level platform to address environmental priorities and promote broad horizontal cooperation, & a regional pillar of sustainable development
focused on helping countries of EECCA & SEE to raise their environmental standards towards a common regional standard
EfE reform: strengthen the effectiveness of the process and ensure that it remains appropriate for, and fully aligned with, the changing needs of the UNECE region, the evolving political and economic landscape and the environmental priorities of the region
Recall that the EfE process is:
(a) a high-level platform to address environmental priorities and promote broad horizontal cooperation, and a regional pillar of sustainable development;
(b) focused on helping countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia and South-Eastern Europe to raise their environmental standards towards a common regional standard
2. The process underwent a reform to: strengthen the effectiveness of the process and ensure that it remains appropriate for, and fully aligned with, the changing needs of the UNECE region, the evolving political and economic landscape and the environmental priorities of the region

3. Astana Ministerial Conference
Committee on Environmental Policy (CEP) is the convening body for the preparatory process
CEP-16 agreed on the two themes for the Conference:
sustainable management of water and water-related ecosystems
greening the economy: mainstreaming the environment into economic development
Conference agenda prepared by CEP Extended Bureau (Geneva, Mar 2010) & CEP-17 (Geneva, 2-5 Nov 2010)
Ad Hoc Steering Group on Environmental Assessments established to guide the preparation by EEA of an “Assessment of Assessments” for the Conference
=> Committee on Environmental Policy (CEP) is the convening body for the preparatory process
=> CEP-16 agreed on the two themes for the Conference:
-sustainable management of water and water-related ecosystems
-greening the economy: mainstreaming the environment into economic development
=> Conference agenda prepared by CEP Extended Bureau (Geneva, Mar 2010) & CEP-17 (Geneva, 2-5 Nov 2010)
=> Ad Hoc Steering Group on Environmental Assessments established to guide the preparation by EEA of an “Assessment of Assessments” for the Conference
The Steering Group will guide the preparation by the European Environment Agency of an “Assessment of Assessments” for the Astana Conference. The main purpose of the AoA will be to provide a critical review and analysis of existing environmental assessments that are of relevance to the region. The AoA will also identify gaps that need to be covered and priorities that should be addressed for conducting assessments to keep the pan-European environment under continuous review. The Steering Group will be composed of representatives of Governments, the Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, relevant international organizations and institutions, and civil society associations.

4. Astana Ministerial Conference
possible issues to be addressed within ‘water’ theme:
increasing water scarcity and its impact on food & energy security & economic development, integrated & transboundary water management, melting of glaciers, water quality, water supply and sanitation, …
possible issues to be addressed within ‘greening the economy’ theme:
the reduction of carbon emissions, energy efficiency, sustainable consumption and production, the reconfiguration of financing and infrastructure to better accommodate environmental considerations, …
1. possible issues to be addressed within ‘water’ theme:
increasing water scarcity and its impact on food & energy security & economic development, integrated & transboundary water management, melting of glaciers, water quality, water supply and sanitation, …
2. possible issues to be addressed within ‘greening the economy’ theme:
the reduction of carbon emissions, energy efficiency, sustainable consumption and production, the reconfiguration of financing and infrastructure to better accommodate environmental considerations, …

5. Sustainable Development in UNECE
4th Regional Implementation Meeting on Sustainable Development (Geneva, 1-2 December 2009)
Regional input into global discussion at CSD-18, May 2010
Transport, Chemicals, Waste management, Mining, 10- Year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns
Progress made, obstacles encountered, & policies & measures required for further progress
Cross-cutting issues and interlinkages between thematic issues; reporting on CSD-17
Chair’s Summary to be submitted to CSD-18
More than 220 delegates from the UNECE region recently met in Geneva to discuss progress made in achieving sustainable development goals in transport and chemicals and waste management as well as in changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production.
They addressed both breakthroughs and obstacles encountered in the region, as well as the policies and measures required for further progress.
The meeting’s key messages and policy recommendations will be sent to the Commission on Sustainable Development, which meets in May 2010 in New York.
Transport:
There has been some progress in “greening” road transport, with 95–97 per cent of abatements in emission limits for passenger cars between 1970 and today, as well as more than 5 times lower particulate emissions than in However, much remains to be done, especially regarding emissions of nitrogen oxides – which contribute to ozone pollution – and of fine particulates.
Addressing these environmental and social challenges requires a holistic approach: transport should be avoided where possible (e.g. through better urban planning, with people living closer to their work, and using teleconferencing and other technical solutions). A shift to cleaner modes of transport is required (i.e. from cars to public or non-motorized transport), and the different transport modes need to become cleaner (i.e. cleaner cars and buses).
Chemicals:
The World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002) requested that by 2020 chemicals be used and produced in ways that minimize significant adverse effects on human health and the environment.
At the regional level, the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and its protocols on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals, support countries’ efforts to achieve the 2020 goal.
While the basic legal framework exists, implementation needs to be strengthened, as does the cooperation and coordination of activities involving existing chemicals-related international instruments. Considering the continuing large volume of production and use of chemicals, as well as introduction of new ones, it is likely that global regulation of other chemicals of concern will also be needed in the future.

6. Environment & SD in the UNECE
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EfE:
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