Rapid environmental change is all around us. This assault on the global environment risks undermining the many advances human society has made in recent decades. It is undercutting our fight against poverty. It could even come to jeopardize international peace and security.
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations
GEO-4 underlines the choices available to policy-makers across the range of environmental, social and economic challenges – both known and emerging. It underlines not only the enormous, trillion-dollar value of the Earth’s ecosystems and the goods-and-services they provide, but also underscores the central role the environment has for development and human well-being.
Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme
