May 2015: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) – UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI) has published the second edition of a report, titled ‘Mainstreaming environment and climate for poverty reduction and sustainable development: A handbook to strengthen planning and budgeting processes,’ which supports the integration and implementation of pro-poor, environmental sustainability objectives into national, subnational and sectoral development policies, plans and budgets to contribute to poverty alleviation and an inclusive, green economy.

The handbook is designed as guidance for policymakers and practitioners to mainstream pro-poor environment and climate concerns into planning, budgeting and monitoring. It provides concrete examples from PEI experience in a number of regions, including Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Latin America and the Caribbean, in order to support practitioners in their “efforts to reduce poverty, tackle climate change, and manage the environment and natural resources in a sustainable way.”

The report consists of nine main sections on, inter alia: the importance of mainstreaming poverty-environment concerns; the political economy of mainstreaming; mainstreaming into national planning processes and budgeting processes, as well as into sector strategies and subnational plans and budgets; mainstreaming into national monitoring processes; managing private investment in natural resources; and lessons learned. The handbook also includes several annexes, boxes, tables and figures. [Publication: Mainstreaming Environment and Climate for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development: A Handbook to Strengthen Planning and Budgeting Processes] [UNDP-UNEP PEI Website]