Global Environment Outlook – GEO-6: Technical Summary

Summarizes the science that will underpin policies for environmental recovery in a post-COVID-19 era. Also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

UN Environment (Edited by)

9781108707671, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 8 April 2021

116 pages
28 x 21.7 x 0.7 cm, 0.4 kg

'The global pandemic COVID-19 has demonstrated the interconnected nature of the planet's life support systems and that we cannot return to business as usual. And the good news is that in building back better, we can ensure both a healthy environment and healthy people.' Inger Andersen, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme

The sixth Global Environment Outlook was launched in 2019 at the fourth UN Environment Assembly. It highlighted the ongoing damage to life and health from pollution and land degradation, and warned that zoonosis was already accounting for more than 60% of human infectious diseases. Since then the spread of COVID-19 has demonstrated the enormous challenges a global pandemic can cause for health care systems and the economy, as well as revealing potential environmental benefits of an altered lifestyle. This Technical Summary synthesizes the science and data in the GEO-6 report to make it accessible to a broad audience of policymakers, students and scientists. It demonstrates that more urgent and sustained action is required to address the degradation caused by our energy, food and waste systems and identifies a variety of transformational pathways for those seeking far-reaching policies for environmental and economic recovery. Also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

1. A healthy planet supports healthy people
2. Five drivers affect the health of the planet
3. An Increasingly unhealthy planet affects everyone's health
4. Despite some success stories, policy measures lag behind
5. A healthy planet and healthy people are synergetic: Achieving transformative change
6. Data and knowledge for a healthy planet
Annex 1. Examples of other global environmental assessments and their links to GEO-6
6. Acronyms and abbreviations
8. Glossary.

Subject Areas: Environmental science, engineering & technology [TQ], Climate change [RNPG], Environmentalist, conservationist & Green organizations [RNB], Animal ecology [PSVS], Plant ecology [PSTS], Environment law [LNKJ], International environmental law [LBBP], Politics & government [JP]