Press release

Integrated Environmental Assessment Training Package launched at GEO-5 conference

March 28, 2010
NAIROBI--March 29, 2010--More than 100 people attended the launch today of a new and interactive Training Package for Integrated Environmental Assessment (IEA). The launch of the training package took place alongside the First Global Intergovernmental and Multi-stakeholder Consultation on the Fifth Global Environment Outlook Report (GEO-5), at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi.

The GEO report is UNEP's flagship assessment on the state of the global environment, and it has pioneered and championed the IEA methodology. The diverse range of materials and products in the training package will be used by the authors of GEO-5 to improve the assessment process.

IEA is a process of gathering and analyzing information on the key interactions between the natural environment and human society that can be useful for policy-making and future planning. The multi-dimensional Training Package, developed by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, is designed to build capacity at a national and regional level for Integrated Environmental Assessment to become an integral part of policy-making. It represents an important step towards meeting one of UNEP's core strategic objectives to help build country-level capacity.

The launch introduced the audience to the new and improved products of the training package which include a training manual, a community platform, interactive e-learning modules and a trainers data base. The training manual is available in the six official UN languages of Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian. The Community Platform promotes information-sharing and networking among IEA practitioners at a global, regional and national level. The e-learning modules offer interactive online training designed for learners through the internet. The trainers database provides access to an international network of experts who are qualified to deliver IEA training.

Welcoming the IEA Training Package, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said that "the ability to monitor and assess changing environmental trends and their interactions with human development is at the heart of building environmental considerations into decision-making. The pioneering of the IEA process through UNEP's GEO Report represents a model that can be replicated at a national and regional level."

Dr László Pintér, Director of Measurement and Assessment at IISD said "I hope the training package will be used extensively around the world and contribute to the development of many regional and national IEAs that directly improve decision-making. IISD is committed to contributing to the achievement of urgent environmental sustainability goals through better environmental information and assessment."

UNEP's Fifth Global Environmental Outlook Report will be published in 2012.

Notes

To access the IEA Training Package and materials visit http://www.unep.org/ieacp

For more information on UNEP's GEO Report visit http://www.unep.org/GEO/

For further information, please contact:

Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson/Head of Media, Nairobi, + 254-20-7623084 or +41 795965737, [email protected]

Nona Pelletier, Media and Communications Officer, International Institute for Sustainable Development, +1-(204) 958-7740 or +1-(204) 962-1303, [email protected]

About IISD

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a globally recognized think tank with 3 decades of experience working to solve the world’s most pressing sustainable development challenges. We combine deep expertise in a wide range of issues with a collaborative approach to research, policy advice, and hands-on support to ensure these solutions are brought to life. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we are a diverse team of over 300 professionals working from offices in Canada, Switzerland, and other locations around the world.