Meeting on Policy Coherence for Global Environmental Benefits: A Milestone Discussion

On March 5, 2025, representatives from the ICCF Group, UNEP, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) convened to review the progress of the groundbreaking project Policy Coherence for Global Environmental Benefits.

This initiative marks the first GEF-funded project dedicated to advancing policy coherence, a critical approach for integrating environmental objectives into domestic policymaking.

Understanding Policy Coherence

Policy coherence, as defined by the GEF, involves fostering synergies, maximizing benefits, and managing trade-offs across economic, social, and environmental policy areas. It also seeks to balance domestic policy goals with commitments under multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). This approach ensures that global environmental benefits (GEBs) are not undermined by misaligned policies or investments that could lead to environmentally damaging behaviors.

Key Discussions

During the meeting, participants shared and discussed experiences and lessons learned from implementing the project in the three pilot countries. The discussions highlighted the importance of raising awareness among key stakeholders—particularly those involved in the policymaking cycle—about the critical role of intersectoral policy coherence in achieving environmental objectives.

Participants emphasized that it is essential to identify and strengthen existing mechanisms that contribute to improving policy coherence, rather than creating new ones. Additionally, prioritizing key sectors for coherence analysis and clearly defining the scope of such analyses were identified as crucial steps.

Policy coherence is a continuous process that requires sustained coordination and dialogue among sectors. It involves not only developing coherent policies but also ensuring their effective implementation.

The experience of implementing this global project has shown that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to improving policy coherence. Strategies vary across countries, depending on their unique priorities, political landscapes, and institutional contexts.