12 July 2017: The Poverty Environment Initiative (PEI) has published a report on social and environmental policy for sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The report aims to improve policy tools by providing practical examples of an integrated approach for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in LAC, with a focus on the poverty-environment nexus.
The report, titled ‘Articulating Social and Environmental Policy for Sustainable Development: Practical options in Latin America and the Caribbean,’ identifies entry points to integrate environmental sustainability and social protection objectives. The report identifies potential policy tools that could advance an integrated approach to SDG implementation in the region, including: conditional cash transfers systems; multidimensional poverty measurements; payments for ecosystem services (PES); and food security and nutrition programmes.
The report uses regional examples to illustrate that advancing sustainable development will depend on government efforts to integrate poverty eradication and inequality reduction with environmental management objectives in development planning and policies. The report also highlights existing tools and models in LAC that generate positive impacts on poverty reduction, social protection and environmental sustainability. Examples showcased in the report include: the ‘Bolsa Verde’ Programme in Brazil, the ‘Hands for Water Alliance’ in Colombia, the ‘Single Beneficiary System’ in the Dominican Republic, and the ‘Strategic Project for Food Security’ in Mexico.
The paper recommends, inter alia: including a pro-poor component in environmental programmes and initiatives to ensure marginalized and vulnerable populations play a role and to promote equal access to natural resources; linking social protection systems and food security and sustainable agriculture to create opportunities to transition out of poverty in rural areas; and implementing integrated social protection policies, which can promote resilience to climate change and disasters. These efforts will help realize SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), among others. PEI is an initiative of UN Environment and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). [Publication Landing Page] [Publication: Articulating Social and Environmental Policy for Sustainable Development: Practical options in LAC]