Making Global Integrated Environmental Assessment and Reporting Matter
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MAKING GLOBAL INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING MATTER A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY LÁSZLÓ PINTÉR IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY JAMES A. PERRY, ADVISER MARCH, 2002 © László Pintér 2002 ii László Pintér 348 words ABSTRACT Producing reliable knowledge and information on the trends, dynamics and possible directions of the global environment is a precondition of intelligent policy-making. Besides assessments dealing with particular issues and sectors, there is a well-established need for regularly pulling together and synthesizing knowledge in ways that reflect the interconnectedness of environment and development. The resulting integrated assessment and reporting (IAR) systems need to reflect an understanding of cross-scale interactions from the local to the global level, link past trends and emerging issues, and cover all key sectors of the environment. The assessment systems have to be approached as a reflexive, evolving, and largely experimental process. As an important element, we need to identify and understand linkages between assessment design and effectiveness. This study looks at the connection between design elements and effectiveness in the Global Environment Outlook (GEO), currently the most comprehensive global reporting system on the environment from the perspective of sustainability, produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and a global network of collaborative centres. Taking a practitioner perspective, I was interested in how selected criteria of effectiveness, including saliency, credibility, legitimacy and awareness are influenced by key design elements of GEO, including: framing, governance, participation, capacity, communication, data and indicators, and feedback to research agenda setting. My research found that while the GEO scores well on several of these criteria, significant opportunities for improvement remain. Saliency could be increased through strengthening early and substantive participation in the assessment process, and using the process to understand and directly respond to the questions of key policy audiences. These should include the identification and systematic use of a core set of indicators. There are important opportunities to strengthen credibility by providing detailed blueprints for i assessment methods, and that both these and final results are subject to rigorous peer review. Legitimacy could be enhanced by applying a governance model that provides organizations participating in the assessment significant responsibilities, but also contributes to their increased capacity. Finally, in order to increase awareness of environment and development problems and solutions, IAR systems need to establish and systematically implement effective communication strategies. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, thanks are due to my immediate family members, my wife Emőke, and our daughters Kamilla and Margaréta, but also my parents and sister who gave up an uncounted number of days and weeks to spend quality time together so that I can do this work. Many thanks to Professor James Perry, my advisor, friend and colleague who was and I hope will continue to be a source of wisdom, inspiration and encouragement. Thanks to my other committee members for guidance and comments, Dr. Hans Gregersen, Dr. Peter Hardi, Dr. Allen Lundgren and Dr. Anne Kapuscinski. I am grateful for IISD for supporting my Ph.D. studies and granting a one-year leave of absence that allowed me to accept a fellowship to join the Sustainability Science project at Harvard that brought many challenges as well as inspiration. Thanks are due to Jill Jäger (IHDP/Harvard), my direct superior and William Clark (Harvard) for conversations and comments, as well as for several GEA fellows, particularly Bernd Kasemir, Bernd Siebenhüner, David Cash and Franck Alcock. I am grateful for the thoughts and invaluable support received from Marion Cheatle (UNEP), Anna Stabrawa (UNEP), Dave MacDevette (UNEP), Nickolai Denisov (GRID-Arendal), Jan Bakkes (RIVM), Paul Raskin (Tellus Institute), and Marlene Roy (IISD). I am also indebted to my interviewees and many other colleagues and friends at GEO Collaborating Centres around the world, UNEP-DEWA and IISD who expressed support for and interest in my research from an early stage. Finally, thanks to my friends, Ed Deak, Csaba Káncz, Attila Király, and Péter Nagy for wide ranging correspondence and conversations over the years that helped put my work in perspective. iii iv DEDICATION Dedicated to my family, those who were around to support this work, those who already passed away but whose wisdom and love shaped me as I grew up, and those yet to be born. May all people understand the importance of taking care of the world as we take care of our loved ones. v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... X GLOSSARY.....................................................................................................................XI 1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................... 1 1.1. PURPOSE AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS................................................................... 5 2. EFFECTIVENESS, ASSESSMENT DESIGN, AND THE TROUBLE WITH ATTRIBUTION .............................................................................................................. 10 2.1. TRACING THE INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION IN THE AGE OF GLOBAL CHANGE ......... 12 2.2. CRITERIA OF EFFECTIVENESS .................................................................................. 17 3. THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING SYSTEMS24 3.1. TOWARDS A TYPOLOGY OF ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS.................................................. 26 3.2. THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK.................................................................. 32 3.3. GEO’S COMPANIONS............................................................................................... 41 4. METHODS .................................................................................................................. 43 5. RESULTS .................................................................................................................... 48 6. DESIGN CHOICES AND TRADEOFFS................................................................. 55 6.1. FRAMING................................................................................................................. 60 6.1.1. Why framing?.................................................................................................. 60 6.1.2. Framing in GEO and distributed systems....................................................... 62 6.1.3. Implications for effectiveness.......................................................................... 64 6.2. GOVERNANCE ......................................................................................................... 68 6.2.1. Why governance?............................................................................................ 68 6.2.2. Governance in GEO and distributed systems ................................................. 71 6.2.3. Implications for effectiveness.......................................................................... 73 6.3. PARTICIPATION ....................................................................................................... 78 6.3.1. Why participation?.......................................................................................... 78 6.3.2. Participation in GEO and distributed systems ............................................... 81 6.3.3. Implications for effectiveness.......................................................................... 86 6.4. CAPACITY AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT............................................................... 92 6.4.1. Why capacity and capacity development? ...................................................... 92 6.4.2. Capacity development in GEO and distributed systems................................. 99 6.4.3. Implications for effectiveness........................................................................ 106 6.5. COMMUNICATION.................................................................................................. 113 6.5.1. Why communication?.................................................................................... 113 6.5.2. Communication in GEO and distributed systems ......................................... 118 6.5.3. Implications for effectiveness........................................................................ 121 vii 6.6. DATA AND INDICATORS......................................................................................... 126 6.6.1. Why data and indicators? ............................................................................. 126 6.6.2. Data and indicator issues in GEO and distributed systems ......................... 131 6.6.3. Implications for effectiveness........................................................................ 135 6.7. FEEDBACK TO RESEARCH AGENDA SETTING .......................................................... 141 6.7.1. Why feedback to research agenda setting?................................................... 141 6.7.2. Feedback to research agenda setting in GEO and distributed systems........ 145 6.7.3. Implications for effectiveness.......................................................................