State of Global Environmental Governance 2021

The 2021 state of global environmental governance was characterized by a shift toward voluntary pledges and a struggle to maintain multilateral progress during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some major meetings, such as the Glasgow COP, returned to in-person formats, many other processes remained in a 'maintenance mode' with only procedural outcomes. The report highlights a growing gap between environmental promises and action, exacerbated by systemic inequalities and vaccine disparity, which hinder the collective ability of states to address climate, nature, and pollution crises.

• Global environmental governance in 2021 was dominated by voluntary pledges, which allow participants to choose their own content with minimal international oversight. While these 'pinkie promises' can catalyze engagement and bypass long negotiations, they often lack transparency and monitoring mechanisms, and some may simply repackage existing actions rather than providing additional effort.
• The UNFCCC synthesis report indicated that even if new and updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are achieved, global emissions are projected to increase by 13.7% above 2010 levels by 2030.
• The COVID-19 pandemic forced most multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) into a 'maintenance mode,' where virtual meetings resulted primarily in procedural decisions regarding budgets and work programmes rather than substantive policy outcomes.
• A small number of high-profile meetings successfully transitioned back to in-person or hybrid formats in 2021, including the IUCN World Conservation Congress, which adopted the Marseille Manifesto, and the Glasgow COP, which finalized the Paris Agreement Rulebook.
• Socioeconomic disparities and vaccine inequity have undermined multilateral trust and amplified environmental injustices. Digital inequality, including poor internet connectivity in developing countries and rural areas, further hindered effective participation in virtual environmental negotiations.
• There is a rising trend in climate litigation to hold states and corporations accountable for emissions. A landmark decision by the Hague District Court ordered Shell to reduce its emissions by 45% by 2030 across all activities and scopes.

APA

Allan, J., Tsioumani, E., Jones, N., & Soubry, B. (2021). State of Global Environmental Governance 2021. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-02/state-global-environmental-governance-2021-en.pdf

Chicago

Allan, Jen, Elsa Tsioumani, Natalie Jones, and Bernard Soubry. State of Global Environmental Governance 2021. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-02/state-global-environmental-governance-2021-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Allan |first1=Jen |last2=Tsioumani |first2=Elsa |last3=Jones |first3=Natalie |last4=Soubry |first4=Bernard |title=State of Global Environmental Governance 2021 |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-02/state-global-environmental-governance-2021-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{allan2021state, author = {Allan, Jen and Tsioumani, Elsa and Jones, Natalie and Soubry, Bernard}, title = {{State of Global Environmental Governance 2021}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-02/state-global-environmental-governance-2021-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }