Integrating environment and development:1972-2002; State of the environment and policy retrospective: 1972-2002; Human vulnerability to environmental change; Outlook: 2002-32; Options for action.

The fourth report in the Global Environment Outlook series provides a comprehensive, scientifically credible, policy-relevant and up-to-date assessment of, and outlook for, the state of the global environment. Environment for development is the GEO-4 underlying theme and the report pays special attention to the role and impact of the environment on human well-being as well as to the use of environmental valuation as a tool for decision-making. GEO-4's 2007 publication date marks the half-way point for the Millennium Development Goals, The environment, as well as being the subject of MDG 7, is also a thread that runs through all the goals. Includes Errata.

How do we take stock of the state and direction of the world’s environment, and what can we learn from the experience? Among the myriad detailed narratives about the condition of the planet, the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) reports—issued by the United Nations Environment Programme—stand out as the most ambitious. For nearly three decades the GEO project has not only delivered iconic global assessment reports, but through its multitude of contributors has inspired hundreds of similar processes worldwide from the regional to the local level. This book provides an inside account of the evolution of the GEO project from its earliest days. Building on meticulous research, including interviews with former heads of the United Nations Environment Programme, diplomats, leading contributing scientists, and senior leaders of collaborating organizations, the story is told from the perspective of five GEO veterans who all played a pivotal role in shaping the periodic assessments. The GEO’s history provides striking insights and will save valuable time to those who commission, design and conduct, as well as critique and improve, assessments of environmental development in the next decade.

Published to coincide with the Fourth United Nations Environmental Assembly, UN Environment's sixth Global Environment Outlook calls on decision makers to take bold and urgent action to address pressing environmental issues in order to protect the planet and human health. By bringing together hundreds of scientists, peer reviewers and collaborating institutions and partners, the GEO reports build on sound scientific knowledge to provide governments, local authorities, businesses and individual citizens with the information needed to guide societies to a truly sustainable world by 2050. GEO-6 outlines the current state of the environment, illustrates possible future environmental trends and analyses the effectiveness of policies. This flagship report shows how governments can put us on the path to a truly sustainable future - emphasising that urgent and inclusive action is needed to achieve a healthy planet with healthy people. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Published to coincide with the Fourth United Nations Environmental Assembly, the Summary for Policymakers of the sixth Global Environment Outlook provides an evidence-based source of environmental information to help policymakers in government, local authorities and businesses achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Since the first edition in 1997, there have been many examples of environmental improvement, especially where problems have been well identified, manageable, and where regulatory and technological solutions have been readily available. Nevertheless, the overall condition of the global environment has deteriorated and urgent action, involving ambitious and effective policies, is necessary to arrest and reverse this situation. This Summary for Policymakers answers key policy questions by assessing the drivers of environmental change, the scale and effectiveness of policy responses, potential pathways for achieving sustainability goals in an increasingly complex world, and the data and information that can support the decision-making process. Also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

GEO is both a series of periodic reports and an international participatory assessment process. GEO projects two major objectives are to provide an overview of major environmental concerns and to set in motion a global participatory assessment process. This document reports on a study commissioned in response to the Governing council's request for a Global Environment Outlook user profile and qualitative analysis of the actual use of the first and second Global Environment Outlook reports.

This report assesses the environmental consequences of key socio-economic developments in Europe, particularly in relation to climate change, air and water quality, and considers options for a more sustainable future. Projected developments are discussed in the light of Europe's current policy targets, as adopted in the EU's sustainable development strategy and the Sixth Environment Action Programme. Issues covered include: the environmental impact of changing demographic patterns; prospects for meeting greenhouse gas emissions targets and renewable energy resources; air and water pollution issues, including the urban wastewater treatment directive; and the impact of EU enlargement on EU environmental policies. Conclusions reached include that, despite successes in some areas, the EU continues to face significant challenges in meeting its long term environmental commitments; and that policy-makers must adopt a more integrated approach in order to provide a coherent response across key sectors, including transport and agricultural policies.