IEA Training Manual

The IEA Training Manual provides a modular framework for conducting integrated environmental assessments (IEA) to support policy-making at national, regional, and local levels. Based on the UNEP Global Environment Outlook (GEO) methodology, the manual is divided into core methodological modules (Volume 1) and thematic modules (Volume 2), including a specific focus on climate change adaptation. It emphasizes a participatory process, the use of the DPSIR framework, and the development of impact strategies to ensure assessment results influence decision-making. The manual is supported by the IEA Community Platform for resource sharing and trainer networking.

• The IEA Training Manual is structured into two volumes: Volume 1 contains eight core methodological modules covering the IEA process from design and impact strategy to monitoring and evaluation, while Volume 2 contains thematic modules, currently featuring one on climate change adaptation.
• Integrated environmental assessment (IEA) is defined as the process of creating and communicating policy-relevant, future-oriented information regarding the key interactions between human society and the natural environment.
• The IEA process utilizes the DPSIR (drivers, pressures, state, impacts, response) framework to analyze environmental trends, identify the causes of change, and assess the effectiveness of policy responses.
• To avoid 'data smog' and ensure that reports are actually used by decision-makers, the manual emphasizes the creation of an 'impact strategy' to position and deliver the IEA effectively.
• Scenario development is used in IEA not as a prediction, but as a description of possible futures to challenge conventional wisdom and support informed action; GEO-4 specifically considers four plausible futures for 2050: Markets First, Policy First, Security First, and Sustainability First.
• The thematic module on climate change (Module VIA) focuses on vulnerability and impact assessments to determine and prioritize adaptation responses and mainstream climate change into development decisions.
• The IEA Community Platform, launched in 2008, provides a web-based tool for IEA trainers and practitioners to access the manual, share case studies, and maintain a database of certified trainers.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). IEA Training Manual. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iea_brochure.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. IEA Training Manual. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iea_brochure.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=IEA Training Manual |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iea_brochure.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndiea, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{IEA Training Manual}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iea_brochure.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }