The sixth Global Environment Outlook (2019) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was published in time for the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly. It 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 goals, such as the Paris Agreement.
Some Key Messages from the report
1. UNEP’s sixth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) is the most comprehensive report on the global environment since 2012. It shows that the overall environmental situation globally is deteriorating and the window for action is closing.
2. GEO-6 shows that a healthy environment is both a prerequisite and a foundation for economic prosperity, human health and wellbeing. It addresses the main challenge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: that no one should be left behind, and that all should live healthy, fulfilling lives for the full benefit of all, for both present and future generations.
3. Unsustainable production and consumption patterns and trends and inequality, when combined with increases in the use of resources that are driven by population growth, put at risk the healthy planet needed to attain sustainable development. Those trends are leading to a deterioration in planetary health at unprecedented rates, with increasingly serious consequences, in particular for poorer people and regions.
4. Furthermore, the world is not on track to achieve the environmental dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals or other internationally-agreed environmental goals by 2030; nor is it on track to deliver long-term sustainability by 2050. Urgent action and strengthened international cooperation are urgently
needed to reverse those negative trends and restore planetary and human health.
5. Past and present greenhouse gas emissions have already committed the world to an extended period of climate change with multiple and increasing environmental and society-wide risks.
The sixth Global Environment Outlook, or GEO-6, is the world’s most comprehensive environmental report, covering a range of topics, issues and potential solutions. At present, the world is not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP's GEO-6 calls for policy interventions that address entire systems in order to lead to healthy lives for all people.
Nairobi, Kenya, 13 March, 2019 – The most comprehensive and rigorous assessment on the state of the environment completed by the UN in the last five years was published today, warning that damage to the planet is so dire that people’s health will be increasingly threatened unless urgent action is taken. The report, which was produced by 250 scientists and experts from…
UN Environment’s Sixth Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6) is the most comprehensive assessment of the state of the world's environment. The report also offers a rigorous analysis of our prospects for a healthy future. We’ve made progress, but we have a long way to go. It’s time for us all to comprehend the transformations that will be required to protect our planet’s health.
