UNEP’s Niche
UNEP is the only UN entity with a global mandate for monitoring the environment. Jillian Campbell's Notes on Environment Statistics wide provides an overview of how our work on statistics and indicators supports work on the SDG indicators, how we work with countries to build their capacity to compile and use data for the environment-related SDGs and on how we use cross-cutting data analysis to better understand the environmental dimension of development. This is not something that we do alone and thus links to existing partnerships, working groups and other initiatives is also included.
As the custodian for 26 environment-related Sustainable Development Goals indicators, and leader on the global environmental agenda, UNEP is best-placed to support Member States in using environmental Sustainable Development Goals data in decision making. Initiatives such as the Common Country Analysis (CCA) and the Sustainable Development Goals Voluntary National Reviews (VNR) are great examples of how UNEP can work in partnership with United Nations Country Teams and national stakeholders to promote the integration of the environment in their analysis and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP directly provides the data and analysis for the High-Level Political Forum report on the SDGs and for the global SDG database (for the 26 indicators under its custodianship). UNEP’s Sustainable Development Goals data is the official source of data for indicators. UNEP also plays a key role in promoting environmental analysis of the goals through publications such as Measuring Progress which allows us to better understand how to achieve the environmental dimension of development.