All publications and documents

The debate on climate change focuses on global carbon flows and on broad-brush generalisations about how societies may adapt to predicted future conditions. However, the actual decisions on how and where to sequester carbon and how to adapt to very uncertain futures will need to take place at more local levels. Although global and national policies will provide the context, the actual outcomes…

2014 was a year in which many citizens around the world lost hope and trust in conventional leaders’ abilities to solve national and global challenges. Governments were increasingly polarized—and seemingly paralyzed—in the face of growing inequality and entrenched poverty; environmental agencies watered down social and environmental regulations to attract more international investments despite…

Drylands have always been the subject to intra- and inter-annul fluctuations of climate conditions, with important consequences for ecosystem function and productivity. Humans who depend on drylands for their livelihoods have coped with those fluctuations through such risk- averse responses as migration, extensive agricultural practices and collective tenure of land , water and other natural…

This report aims to engage industry in a review of the global challenges around water, biodiversity and soil and showcases the extent to which companies are working together to develop new interventions in the face of natural capital degradation. The report shares some business responses to these challenges while also highlighting the barriers to long-term and sustainable management of natural…

This guide collects and summarizes good practices on the successful mediation of resource conflicts. It draws on the field experiences of mediators and mediation experts, specifically those with natural resource expertise. It also features lessons learned from UNEP’s work on environmental diplomacy in different conflict-affected countries, with a particular focus on how to use impartial technical…

Conferences and committees the world over are recognizing the importance of youth representation. However, youth participation is still largely limited, particularly in the international arena, to a ‘demand to be heard’. Youth involvement can also often be tokenistic – where young people are given a voice but no decision-making power. Youth participation requires a great deal of thought,…