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Regional Assessment for North America Key findings and policy messages Marc Levy Deputy Director, CIESIN | Earth Institute, Columbia University [email protected] @marc_a_levy
Regional Assessment for North America
Key findings and policy messages
Marc Levy Deputy Director, CIESIN | Earth Institute, Columbia University
[email protected] @marc_a_levy
Background
• REIN Conference – Gatineau, Canada: 27-29 May 2015
– Identified regional priorities
– Agreed on overarching narratives and themes
• March/April Regional meeting – Washington, DC: 21-22 March 2016
– Assessed quality and relevance of assessment in light of post peer-review revisions
– Produced statement of main messages
What we were asked to
assess
7/22/2016
Regional Priorities What is on the minds of decision-makers and experts, and why?
State and Trends What is the condition of the environment?
Policy Responses What is being done? How well is it working? What innovations are underway? What are signs of promise?
Outlook What are special concerns regarding the future? What megatrends and emerging issues are most important?
May 2015: REIN Conference, Gatineau, Canada September 2015: Writing sprint, Nairobi, Kenya Oct 2015-Feb 2016: Writing and revisions March 2016: High-level review, Washington DC May 2016: Global launch, Nairobi, Kenya
Regional Priorities
4 Systems orientation
Focu
s
Climate Change
Natural Capital Accounting
Sustainable Consumption and Production
Adaptive Governance
Information and analytics
Low High
Problems
Rapidly Changing Arctic
Land Fragmentation
Water Security
Non-point Source Contamination
Contaminants of Emerging Concern
Energy Transition
[Cities]
Solutions
Water security
Sustainable consumption and production
Regional Priorities
5 Systems orientation
Focu
s
Climate Change
Natural Capital Accounting
Sustainable Consumption and Production
Adaptive Governance
Information and analytics
Low High
Problems
Rapidly Changing Arctic
Land Fragmentation
Water Security
Non-point Source Contamination
Contaminants of Emerging Concern
Energy Transition
[Cities]
Solutions
Point-source contamination
Climate impacts in the Arctic
Regional Priorities
6 Systems orientation
Focu
s
Climate Change
Natural Capital Accounting
Sustainable Consumption and Production
Adaptive Governance
Information and analytics
Low High
Problems
Rapidly Changing Arctic
Land Fragmentation
Water Security
Non-point Source Contamination
Contaminants of Emerging Concern
Energy Transition
Cities
Solutions The problems that generate the most concern are those that are systemic in
nature
The solutions that generate the most interest aim at systemic transformation
State and Trends
1) Conditions have improved because of
effective policies.
- e.g. Air quality, water quality, land
resources
Wet sulfate deposition
1990 2012
State and Trends
2) In recent years environmental challenges have emerged that are
harder to manage within existing policy frameworks.
- e.g. Climate change, Arctic, energy system, new contaminants,
water scarcity, coastal and marine environment, fisheries
“Counties in southern Florida declared a state of emergency after being overtaken by a thick layer of green algae resembling “chunky guacamole.” Millions of dollars are thought to have been lost over the holiday weekend, and toxins released from dying algae could continue to poison locals for months.”
State and Trends
3) The hard-to-manage challenges are characterized by multiple,
interacting threats triggering complex, systemic change.
Pathways of pharmaceuticals in the environment
Policy Responses
Figure 3.1.1. U.S. national environmental legislation, 1973-2015 (number of Congressional Bills)
Portland, OR climate achievements
1. The traditional policy toolkit still plays a crucial role, even if insufficient.
2. A new toolkit is emerging and proving its value.
3. Problems that seemed overwhelming now appear more tractable.
- Significant progress on GHG reductions, climate adaptation, energy systems.
4. Some progress is driven by a renaissance in adaptive governance strategies.
- Artful combination of participation, learning, system innovation, management
efficiency deployed at multiple scales.
5. Other progress is driven by sustained attention to foundational governance
elements that generate cross-system benefits.
- e.g. Natural Capital Accounting, Sustainable Consumption and Production,
environmental information and analytics.
