Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is a series of reports on the
environment issued periodically by the
United Nations Environment Program
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on t ...
(UNEP). The GEO project was initiated in response to the
environmental reporting requirements of
UN Agenda 21
Agenda 21 is a non-binding action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development. It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It is an action ...
and to a UNEP Governing Council decision of May 1995 which requested the production of a new comprehensive global state of the environment report.
Six GEO reports have been published to date: GEO-1 in 1997,
GEO-2000 in 1999, GEO-3 in 2002, GEO-4 in 2007, GEO-5 in 2012, and GEO-6 in 2019.
GEO process
The coordinated global network of collaborating centers (CCs) is at the core of the GEO process. These centers have played an increasingly active role in preparing GEO reports. Regional centers are now responsible for almost all the regional inputs, combining
top-down
Top-down may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* " Top Down", a 2007 song by Swizz Beatz
* "Top Down", a song by Lil Yachty from ''Lil Boat 3''
* "Top Down", a song by Fifth Harmony from '' Reflection'' Science
* Top-down reading, is a part of ...
integrated assessment with
bottom-up environmental reporting. Other institutions provide specialized expertise on cross-cutting or thematic issues.
Working groups provide advice and support to the GEO process, particularly on integrated assessment methodologies and process planning.
Other
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
agencies contribute to the GEO process, mainly by providing substantive data and information on the many environmental and related issues that fall under their individual mandates. They also participate in the review process.
The GEO reports are produced using a participatory and consultative approach. Input is solicited from a wide range of sources throughout the world, including the collaborating center network, United Nations organizations and independent experts. Working together with the GEO Coordinating Team in
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...
and the regions, the CCs research, write and review major parts of the report. During the preparation of the report, UNEP organizes consultations inviting
policy makers and other
stakeholders to review and comment on draft materials. Drafts also undergo extensive peer review. This iterative process is designed to ensure that the contents are scientifically accurate and policy relevant to users in different parts of the world and with different environmental information needs.
At the 22nd session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GEMF) in 2003, governments requested UNEP to prepare an annual Global Environment Outlook statement to highlight significant environmental events and achievements during the year. Keeping abreast of
environmental issues
Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on ...
as they unfold, the GEO annual statement (GEO Yearbook) is to be released in the beginning of every year in between the comprehensive GEO reports. The GEO Yearbook 2003, the first in the annual series, was launched at the 8th Special Session of the GC/GMEF on 29 March 2004.
Other outputs of the GEO project include regional, sub-regional and national integrated environmental assessments, technical and other background reports, a website, products for young people (GEO for Youth printed in 2002 and 201
GEO for Youth) and a core
database
In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically. Small databases can be stored on a file system, while large databases are hosted on computer clusters or cloud storage. The design of databases sp ...
– the
GEO Data Portal.
See also
*
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...
References
External links
GEO Data Portal - The Environmental Database (search , map , graph , download)UNEP GEO Data PortalGEO5 for Youth{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501103531/http://www.unep.org/pdf/GEO_for_youth.pdf , date=1 May 2013
BBC Special Report - Planet Under Pressure
Environmental reports