Annotated Bibliography on the UN and Environment
Monographs and Journal Articles ................................................................................................................. 1
Online Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Organization Profiles..................................................................................................................................... 6
Monographs and Journal Articles
Peter Acquah, History of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, 1985-2005.
Nairobi: African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), 2006.
Stephen O. Andersen and K. Madhava Sarma, edited by Lani Sinclair, Protecting the ozone
layer: the United Nations history. London; Sterling, VA: Earthscan Publications, 2002.
“The World’s Protected Areas: Status, values and prospects in the 21st century.”
Chape, Spalding & Jenkins. UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 2008.
Review of protected areas on the global stage with respect to their location, management, value
(biodiversity, economic, etc.) and future prospects.
JD Hamblin, “Environmentalism for the Atlantic Alliance: NATO's Experiment with the
“Challenges of Modern Society”,” Environmental History 15 (1), (Jan., 2010), pp. 54-75.
This essay explores how Nixon used NATO in the years leading up to the United Nations
Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. It shows how Nixon's use of NATO deepened
political animosities between East and West, and between North and South, hastening the blocto-bloc politicization of global environmental issues.
Jodie Hierlmeier, “UNEP: Retrospect and Prospect – Options for Reforming the Global
Environmental Governance Regime,” Georgetown International Environmental Law Review
14:4 (2002).
“The International Law of Forests.”
Ann Hooker. Washington D.C. 1994.
A framework for an international law of forests is constructed from international
agreements which address these problems, including the Forest Principles and other agreements
signed at the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development. Improved methods and
financial support are needed for forest restoration and conservation.
Fiona McConnell, The biodiversity convention: a negotiating history: a personal account of
negotiating the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, and after. London; Boston:
Kluwer Law International, 1996.
J. R. McNeill and Corinna R. Unger (eds.), Environmental Histories of the Cold War (2010).
Review here
Hal K. Rothman. The Greening of a Nation? Environmentalism in the United States Since 1945.
Orlando, Fla. and London, England: Harcourt Brace, 1998.
For a review of a book that includes useful information on the US and UN environmental
policies, see here.
Elizabeth DeSombre, “United Nations Environmental Machinery,” in Global environmental
institutions (2006), pp. 7-41.
Mostafa K. Tolba with Iwona Rummel-Bulska. Global environmental diplomacy: negotiating
environment agreements for the World, 1973-1992 Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1998.
Written by a Director-General of UNEP, this provides personal insight into the workings of
UNEP and global negotiations on the environment.
Frank Uekoetter, The age of smoke: environmental policy in Germany and the United States,
1880-1970. Pittsburgh, Pa.: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009.
George C. Unruh, “The United Nations Global Compact environmental principles:
achievements, trends and challenges” in The United Nations global compact: achievements,
trends and challenges, edited by Andreas Rasche and Georg Kell. Cambridge; New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Thomas R. Wellock, Preserving the nation: the conservation and environmental movements,
1870-2000. Wheeling, Ill. : Harlan Davidson, Inc., 2007.
Online Resources
The Scientific Conference on Resource Conservation and Utilization
Lake Success, NY—1949
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
A conference intended to bring together the top scientists in the world to discuss the
current and future state of the Earth’s natural resources. One of the first major conferences (the
first on the environment) orchestrated by the newly-founded UN, it was not intended to create
policy—rather to elevate the importance of the environment after the extraordinary destruction
caused by World War II.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
Geneva, Switzerland—1956
The first Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS I) was designed to bring the
international community into consensus on oceanic boundaries, fishery management, aqua
resources and other issues regarding the world’s oceans. Before the UN stepped in, countries
declared their national boundaries based on continental shelves or in terms of nautical miles,
after the final UNCLOS in 1982 there was a set of definitions and procedures that eventually
entered into force in 1994.
Articles on Environmental Law from the UN Audiovisual Library of International Law
These articles deal with environmental law and climate change frameworks passed from 1985 to
1997.
UNEP: Two Decades of Achievement and Challenge. 20 Years.
Essam El-Hinnawi. United Nations Environment Programme. Nairobi, Kenya. 1992.
This publication highlights major achievements of the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP) activities over the period 1970 to 1990.
“Environmental Conditions, Resources, and Conflicts: An Introductory Overview and Data
Collection.”
Daniel Schwartz & Ashbindu Singh. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Nairobi,
Kenya. 1999.
UNEP report giving an overview of environmental conditions and resources as well as
security institutions and their ability to deal with conflict arising from environmental concerns.
United Nations Environment Programme. "Natural Allies: UNEP and Civil Society."
Nairobi: United Nations Foundation, 2004.
The relationship between the UN’s environmental agency and the citizens of the Earth is
a two-way street where both help and inform the other as to the issues at hand and how various
policies are actually performing.
“Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report”
Fourth Assessment Report by the IPCC
The most recent publication by the IPCC detailing the science of climate change as well
as its impacts in the short and long term. It also breaks down the different adaptation and
mitigation options corresponding to various levels of economic development around the world.
Paul Berthoud. “A Professional Life Narrative.” (specifically pgs 101-112).
The autobiography of Paul Berthoud—a lifelong UN employee and the first Director of
the Environment Fund includes a section on the founding and early workings of the UNEP
including its move from Geneva to its eventual home of Nairobi, Kenya.
“The Earth’s Second Chance.”
Kofi Annan. Financial Times. May 29, 2002.
At the beginning of his second term as Secretary-General, Kofi Annan describes the
failure of developed countries to keep to their promises and commitments at the Earth Summit in
Rio a decade earlier. He advocates better incentives to bring the environment to its proper level
of importance and hopes for a better path to more sustainable development.
“Climate change and human health: risks and responses.”
A.J McMichael. World Health Organization. Geneva. 2003.
An in-depth discussion of the science behind climate change as well as the impact of
climate change on global health including ways to monitor changes in both over the years to
come.
“Our Precious Coasts: Marine Pollution, Climate Change and the Resilience of Coastal
Ecosystems.”
Nellemann, C. and Corcoran, E. United Nations Environment Programme, GRID-Arendal.
Norway. 2006.
Scientific report detailing the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems (i.e. coral
reefs, fish populations, etc.) and the human populations that rely on them.
“As Climate Changes, Can We?”
Kofi Annan. Washington Post. November 8, 2006.
In his final months as Secretary-General, Kofi Annan addresses the findings in The Stern
Review and urges the societies of the Earth to change their ways as soon as possible.
(brief meeting summary & outcomes)
“World Heritage and the Arctic: International Expert Meeting.”
Nordic World Heritage Foundation and the UNESCO. Norway. 2008.
“Kick the Habit: A UN Guide to Climate Neutrality.”
Alex Kirby. UNEP GRID-Arendal. 2008.
“Kicking the habit is the theme of this book. Written in easy to understand language, but
based on the most up-to-date science and policy, it is a guide for governments, organizations
small and large, businesses and individuals who want to embark on the path to climate
neutrality.” –Ban Ki-moon
Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, and Climate Change: The Economic Problem
Charles Perrings. The World Bank Environment Department. November, 2010.
“Climate change is both a cause and an effect of biodiversity change. Along with
anthropogenic dispersion, climate change is the main driver of change in the geographical
distribution of both beneficial and harmful species—crops, livestock, harvested wild species,
pests, predators and pathogens. And the capacity of ecosystems to adapt to climate change
depends on the diversity of species they currently support.”
“Nigeria Ogoniland oil clean-up ‘could take 30 years’”
BBC News: Africa. August 4, 2011.
Nigeria's Ogoniland region could take 30 years to recover fully from the damage caused
by years of oil spills with levels of some contaminants 900 times the recommended levels,
according to the UNEP.
“Moving Towards a Climate Neutral UN: The UN system’s footprint and efforts to reduce it.”
UNEP. UN Environment Management Group. 2011.
The annual breakdown of the UN’s emissions on an organization-by-organization basis
as well as the steps they are taking to offset, and eventually reduce them moving forward.
(ADVANCED ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL LITERATURE)
“An Investors’ Perspective on Environmental Metrics for Property.”
United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). Nairobi, Kenya. 2011.
An insight to the metrics used to evaluate the environmental quality of commercial and
residential properties as calculated by financial experts at top investors.
UNEP Global Environment Outlook (GEO) Portal
The GEO Data Portal is the authoritative source for data sets used by UNEP and its
partners in the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) report and other integrated environment
assessments. Its online database holds more than 500 different variables, as national, subregional, regional and global statistics or as geospatial data sets (maps), covering themes like
Freshwater, Population, Forests, Emissions, Climate, Disasters, Health and GDP.
Kyoto Protocol Timeline
United Nations Statistics Division—Environment
UNEP GRID-Arendal Photo Library
Collections of photos from around the world ranging from glaciers in Greenland to Coastal
erosion in the Seychelles.
UNFCCC National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA)
UNFCCC Library and Documentation Centre
United Nations Information Portal on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (InforMEA)
“Moving Forward By Looking Back: Learning From UNEP’s History.”
Maria Ivanova. UNEP. 2011
An essay detailing the history of the UNEP and the restrictions on its growth placed by
the limited funding by member governments. The author thinks that, if this does not change, the
UNEP could actually restrict progress in the environmental realm—something no citizen around
the world would hope for.
Organization Profiles
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP YouTube Channel
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
International treaty joined by most countries around the world developed “to reduce
global warming and to cope with whatever temperature increases are inevitable.”
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The IPCC’s official brochure detailing their founding by the UNEP and the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) as well as their mission to “provide at regular intervals
assessment reports on the state of knowledge on climate change.” The Panel handles issues
ranging from atmospheric science research to mitigation and adaptation techniques.
“Environmental DNA” of the UN system
Addressing today’s environmental challenges is largely beyond the capacity of individual
countries. Only concerted and coordinated international action will be sufficient. The arena for
such actions is the United Nations, and the focal point for such action is UNEP. Governments
have called for a more coherent system of international environmental governance as part of the
UN reform process, and are exploring the role and responsibility of UNEP and other UN entities
in relation to environment and development issues. This diagram presents the ‘environmental
DNA’ of the UN system, linking to the environmental components of each organization’s area of
work.
CBD
CITES
CMS
ECA
ECE
ECLAC
ESCAP
ESCWA
FAO
GEF
IAEA
ICAO
IFAD
ILO
IMO
ISDR
ITC
ITU
OCHA
OHCHR
RAMSAR
SBC
UNCCD
UNCTAD
UNDESA/DSD
UNDP
UNEP
UNESCO
UNFCCC
UNFPA
UN-HABITAT
UNHCR
UNICEF
UNIDO
UNITAR
UNU
UNWTO
UPU
WFP
WHO
WIPO
WMO
WORLD BANK
WTO
UN-Energy
The “interagency mechanism on energy”, UN-Energy was founded in 2004 to address the
1.5 billion people that live without access electricity. The UN considers electricity essential to
human development and wealth creation and thus brings together a variety of organizations
ranging from the FAO to UNESCO to the many continental economic commissions. Their
purpose is to reduce poverty, address and mitigate climate change, and increase access to energy
to those in developing nations.
“Greening the Blue”
The UN is attempting to “green” itself and create a more sustainable atmosphere
throughout all of its organizations and agencies.
World Bank Environmental Data & Statistics
Able to search data by: Topic, Country, or Region/Income
UN Environmental Management Group (EMG)
EMG is a UN system-wide coordination body. Its membership consists of the specialized
agencies, programmes and organs of the UN, including the secretariats of the Multilateral
Environmental Agreements plus the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade
Organization. It is chaired by the Executive Director of UNEP and is supported by a secretariat
hosted by UNEP in Geneva.
UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)
The Centre’s goal is to provide authoritative, relevant and timely information for
countries, MEAs, organizations and companies to use in the development and implementation of
their policies and decisions.
International Renewable Energy Association (IRENA)
“Various UN organisations work in the field of renewable energy. But IRENA is the only
one dedicated to the promotion of 100% renewable energy worldwide. IRENA and the UN will
join forces to speed up the transformation of the global energy sector.” –Helene Pelosse, former
Interim Director General of IRENA.
UNEP GRID-Arendal
GRID-Arendal is an official United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
collaborating centre, supporting informed decision making and awareness-raising through:
environmental information management and assessment, capacity building services, and
outreach and communication tools, methodologies and products.