The Seventh Edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7): Charting a course towards a sustainable future in a decade of crisis

Abstract

The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is the flagship report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) providing an integrated assessment of environmental change, the current state of the environment, the effectiveness of policy response and the options for achieving different possible futures in the medium to long term. The Seventh Edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) stands as a monumental and authoritative scientific assessment of the state of the global environment, meticulously produced under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Since its inception in 1997, the GEO series has served as the world's pre-eminent science-policy interface, offering comprehensive diagnostics of environmental conditions, trends, and future pathways to achieve sustainable development. GEO-7 arrives at a singularly critical juncture in human history, confronting a world wrestling with the compounding and interconnected nature of the Triple Planetary Crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution/waste. The palpable lack of momentum toward realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by their 2030 deadline casts a long shadow, intensifying the urgency for systemic, transformative action. Therefore, GEO-7 is more than a mere assessment; it is a scientifically grounded mandate for change, designed to equip policymakers with the evidence, knowledge, and actionable recommendations necessary to dismantle political and economic barriers and forge a path toward a truly equitable and sustainable future.