The sixth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6), focusing on the theme “healthy planet, healthy people”, aims to help policymakers and all of society to achieve the environmental dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals, internationally agreed environmental goals and the multilateral environmental agreements. It does so by assessing recent scientific information and data, analyzing current and past environmental policy, and identifying future options for achieving sustainable development by 2050.
The original request to prepare GEO-6 came from Member States at the first session of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), when, in paragraph 8 of resolution 1/4, the Executive Director of UNEP was requested, within the programme of work and budget, to undertake the preparation of the sixth Global Environment Outlook, supported by UNEP Live, with the scope, objectives and procedures of GEO-6 to be defined by a transparent global, intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder consultation informed by document UNEP/EA.1/INF/14, resulting in a scientifically credible, peer-reviewed GEO-6 and its accompanying summary for policymakers, to be endorsed by the Environment Assembly no later than in 2018.
At its third session, the Environment Assembly, in paragraphs 1 and 2 of its decision 3/1, requested the Executive Director to issue the sixth Global Environment Outlook at least three months before the fourth session of the Assembly; to schedule the negotiations on the Summary for policymakers at least six weeks in advance of the fourth session of the Assembly; and to present the Outlook and the Summary for consideration and possible endorsement by the Assembly at its fourth session.
