Since it was first published in 1997, the Global Environment Outlook has had an ambitious goal: assess the state of the planet and offer fixes to some of the Earth’s most-pressing environmental challenges.
The seventh edition of the report, or GEO-7, is now in the works.
Developed under the stewardship of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), GEO-7 will focus on solutions to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature, land and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.
Underpinning the work of more than 250 authors writing the report are hundreds of technical reviewers. These subject-matter experts are tasked with determining if the report’s findings are consistent with the latest science and identifying any information gaps that might exist.
Each chapter of the report goes through multiple rounds of review from experts around the world. Those involved say that it is important for making sure GEO-7 lives up to its mission of providing robust, peer-reviewed science that can guide policymaking globally.
“One of the most important things is to make sure that the reviewers represent a wide range of geographic backgrounds and areas of expertise,” said Detlef Van Vuuren, climate scientist and GEO-7 author. “This ensures there are no blind spots during the review process.”
UNEP has issued a call for reviewers, who can apply through a dedicated application portal through 15 October 2024. Experts from across the globe are encouraged to apply.
For Thuraya Said Al-Sareeria, Oman’s Assistant Director General for Nature and Conservation, having women reviewers from the developing world is especially important.
“Women bring unique experiences and perspectives that are indispensable to the success and comprehensiveness of the GEO-7,” said Al-Sareeria, who is a member of the GEO-7 Intergovernmental Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group. “Women often emphasize the social and community impacts of environmental issues, highlighting aspects such as gender-specific vulnerabilities and the role of women in ecological resilience.”
GEO-7, which is expected to be published in 2025, is structured according to themes, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and environmental governance.
It is designed to serve as a resource for environmental policymaking and to help the world live up to key accords, like the Paris Agreement on climate change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“The authors in each chapter spend a lot of time synthesizing existing scientific insights,” said Van Vuuren. “But the even more important task is to make sure that the report as a whole tells the right story.”
Al-Sareeria encouraged reviewers to get involved in the process because the GEO-7 confronts some of the most pressing environmental challenges facing the world today. The work reviewers do, she says, could influence global environmental policy for decades to come. “Their input will shape important environmental decisions [and be] a valuable contribution to a global cause.”
About the GEO-7
The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is the flagship report of UNEP, providing an integrated assessment of the drivers of environmental change, the current state of the environment, the effectiveness of policy responses and the options for achieving different possible futures in the medium to long term. As requested by Member States in resolution 5/3 of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), UNEP initiated the preparation of the seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) assessment and an accompanying summary for policymakers. The report is to be launched at UNEA-7 in December 2025. The next GEO-7 peer review period is planned for 1 November 2024 to 15 January 2025. Interested reviewers can apply here.
