The OIC Environment Report 2021 provides a comprehensive analysis of current state and challenges of the environment sector in OIC member countries by using a wide range of the most recent available statistics. This edition of the report also evaluates OIC member countries' progress toward meeting environment-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement commitments.

According to the main findings of the report, environmental capital is a key component of wealth in OIC member countries, accounting for more than a third of total wealth. Furthermore, natural resource earnings account for 13.8% of their GDP. Even though OIC member countries rely heavily on natural resources, they still fall behind other developing and developed countries when it comes to environmental performance and sustainability.

The report also highlights that recent socio-economic progress in OIC countries has been accompanied by environmental degradation. For example, the rate of deforestation in OIC member countries increased from 0.27% per year in 2000–2010 to 0.44% in 2010–2020, despite a decline in global deforestation rates during the same period. Simultaneously, air pollution continued to be a severe threat to the health and well-being of societies in many OIC member countries, resulting in 1.6 million premature deaths in 2019. The OIC member countries are also at high risk of depleting their water resources, with 29 countries facing water stress and 18 of them at critical stress levels.

Although OIC member countries' average per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are lower than the global average, the rate of increase is faster. Between 1990 and 2017, OIC GHG emissions grew by 77%, reaching 9 Gt-CO2 equivalent, while global GHG emissions increased by 43%. Moreover, according to the most recent estimates, more than half of the OIC member countries are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to limited mitigation and adaptation capacity. As a result, action is required to minimize the worst consequences of climate change, build resilience, and, ultimately, mitigate future environmental threats. OIC member countries need to reaffirm their commitment to the Global Climate Negotiation Table and include strong environmental policies in their overall development strategies in order to achieve net-zero emissions in the near future.

The report also suggests some policy recommendations to help OIC member countries achieve more sustainable environmental resource management amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy recommendations particularly address the need for greener development in order to "build back better" from this crisis while working together to make sure that their growth is sustainable, inclusive, and resilient.

Online Electronic Version

• OIC Environment Report 2021 (English) (Arabic) (French)