Voluntary National Reviews: The Environmental Dimension - Policy Brief

This policy brief examines how the environmental dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals is reflected in voluntary national reviews submitted to the High-level Political Forum in 2016 and 2017, using a structured methodology to analyse sixty-four country reports. It focuses on the extent to which environmental aspects are addressed, indicating growing interest among member states in related actions despite the early stage of implementation. The document outlines guiding principles, preparation processes, and reporting approaches, and identifies trends in aligning national plans with the goals. It highlights variations in reporting practices, limited evaluative depth, and challenges in integration, while providing an overall assessment of the review mechanism and identifying areas to strengthen environmental reporting.