4 Steps for Targeted Coherence: A Modular Approach

This briefing paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) proposes a shift from 'full system coordination' to 'targeted coherence' within Global Environmental Governance (GEG). The authors argue that deep, system-wide coordination is impossible due to the diversity of international organizations; instead, they suggest a modular, multi-tiered approach tailored to the specific mandates of different agencies.

• The authors argue that seeking 'deep' or system-wide coordination across all international organizations is an impossible and potentially undesirable challenge because the international system is too 'unwieldy'. They propose 'targeted coherence' instead, which focuses on coherence between 'specific agencies, for specific tasks, on specific issues and in specific ways'.
• The paper identifies three distinct types of organizations within the GEG system based on their mandates: those whose primary mandate is environmental (e.g., UNEP, GEF), those focused on development or project implementation with strong environmental components (e.g., UNDP, World Bank), and those with non-environmental primary mandates that still impact the environment (e.g., WHO, ICAO).
• The authors propose four specific steps to achieve targeted coherence: elevating environmental issues on the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) agenda for high-level vision; establishing a yearly retreat for leaders of primarily environmental agencies; creating ad hoc, issue-specific task forces for technical and regional implementation; and developing a GEG Project Database Portal to aggregate information from various existing databases.
• The UN Environment Management Group (EMG) is criticized for its annual meeting, which is described as a 'fruitless exercise' that fails to address the diverse interests of its 44 members. The authors suggest reorganizing the EMG by discarding the annual meeting in its current form and strengthening its secretariat to implement the proposed modular steps.
• The proposed GEG Project Database Portal would function as an 'airfare aggregator', scanning existing databases (such as the GEF Project Database or OECD CRS) and redirecting users to the relevant sources rather than duplicating the data.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). 4 Steps for Targeted Coherence: A Modular Approach. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_steps_coherence.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. 4 Steps for Targeted Coherence: A Modular Approach. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_steps_coherence.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=4 Steps for Targeted Coherence: A Modular Approach |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_steps_coherence.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndsteps, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{4 Steps for Targeted Coherence: A Modular Approach}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_steps_coherence.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }