the various sectors of policymaking at all levels, including agriculture, fisheries, tourism, forestry, industry, manufacturing and processing, energy and mining, transport, infrastructure and health, is key for effective protection of the environment. Social and economic aspects require particular consideration when environmental policy is being developed. Similarly, a gender-integrative approach could support more effective and transformative environmental policies and interventions. {11.3}


There is no consistent consideration of environmental aspects in other sectors. Environmental aspects find consideration in other sectors when demonstrating economic and social co-benefits (established but incomplete). Tools for ex ante assessment can reveal potential co-benefits. For example, “green investment” of just 2 per cent of global gross domestic product would deliver long‐term growth over the period from 2011 to 2050 that could be at least as high as an optimistic business‐as‐ usual scenario, while minimizing the adverse impact of climate change, water scarcity and the loss of ecosystem services. Although analyses such as strategic environmental assessments, environmental impact assessments and assessments of natural resources are increasingly being carried out, their potential has not yet been fully exploited. Environmental integration is insufficient if there are no benefits to other sectors or if costs are imposed on influential groups while benefits are widely dispersed in society (well established). Departments of the environment are often too weak to enforce environmental policy integration. Effective legal, procedural and institutional mechanisms for environmental policy integration are not widely applied or implemented (well established). {11.3, 11.3.3}


An analysis of policy-related indicators shows that despite considerable innovation and effort in advancing environmental policies, the efforts and effects to date remain insufficient (well established). Existing policies have proven insufficient to address the backlog of environmental problems, and policy gaps remain in the agenda areas of pollution control, efficiency improvement and planning for the environment. Besides more ambitious and better-


designed policies, urgent action is needed, as resource depletion and growing emissions have a partially irreversible impact on ecosystems, human health and economic costs. {Chapters 12 to 17}


To pursue the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals and to achieve the internationally agreed environmental goals on pollution control, clean-up and efficiency improvements will not be sufficient (established but incomplete). Instead, transformative change, in the sense of reconfiguration of basic social and production systems and structures, including their institutional framework, social practices, cultural norms and values, is necessary. Transformative change enables and combines visionary, strategic and integrated policymaking with the enabling of bottom- up social, technological and institutional innovation and the systematic use of experience drawn from such experimentation. {Chapter 18}


Successful models of environmental governance should be built upon well-designed policies and their implementation, compliance and enforcement. Such models should pay close attention to early signals from science and society and ensure adequate oversight capacity and investment in knowledge systems, such as data, indicators, assessments, policy evaluation and sharing platforms. Greater investment is needed in environmental accounting systems to ensure that external costs are addressed and that processes are incorporated that will identify possible future risks, opportunities and conflicts. {Chapter 18}


Greater application of the precautionary approach, in accordance with international agreements (where applicable), can reduce environmental risk. Coalitions between government institutions, businesses and civil society to agree on pathways for tackling societal risks can achieve progress, even in conditions of great uncertainty. Multilevel coordination between local and national policy levels will be instrumental in accelerating the transition towards sustainable development models. {Chapter 18}


18


Summary for Policymakers: Sixth Global Environment Outlook


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