Launch of the 6th Global Environment Outlook (GEO) by UNEP

Published in time for the Fourth United Nations Environmental Assembly, UN Environment’s sixth Global Environment Outlook calls on decision makers to take immediate action to address pressing environmental issues to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals as well as other Internationally Agreed Environment Goals, such as the Paris Agreement.

Concerned URL	https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/global-environment-outlook-6
Source	UNEP
Release date	18/03/2019
Contributor	mlsusini
Geographical coverage	Global
Keywords	Environment, Sustainable Development Goals, Internationally Agreed Environment Goals

UN Environment launched the first Global Environment Outlook (GEO) in 1997. By bringing together a community of 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 builds on the findings of previous GEO reports, including the six regional assessments (2016), and 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 the world on the path to a truly sustainable future. It emphasizes that urgent and inclusive action is needed by decision makers at all levels to achieve a healthy planet with healthy people.

Some of the key messages agreed have been summarised as follows:

A major conclusion is that environmental policy efforts are being hindered by a variety of factors, such as the unsustainable production and consumption patterns in most countries, and by climate change.
It shows that the overall environmental situation is deteriorating globally and the window for action is closing.
It shows that a healthy environment is a prerequisite and foundation for economic prosperity, human health and well-being. The world is not on track to achieve the environmental dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals, and other internationally agreed environmental goals, by 2030. The social and economic costs of inaction also often exceed the costs of action and are inequitably distributed, many times being borne by the poorest and most vulnerable in society including indigenous and local communities, particularly in developing countries.
Current environmental policy alone is not enough to address these challenges. Urgent cross-sectoral policy actions, through a whole-of-society approach, are needed to address the challenges of sustainable development

See website for full document, summary for policymakers (available in the 6 UN languages) and other relevant information.

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