Vital GEO Graphics

Introduction The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is the flag- ship of UNEP’s integrated environmental assessment and reporting. It is a practical tool to implement UNEP’s mandate to keep under review the world environmental situation in order to ensure that emerg- ing environmental problems of wide international significance are prioritized and receive appropriate and adequate consideration by Governments. The GEO report series aims to keep track of the state and trends of the world’s environment, identify and raise awareness of emerging issues that require in- ternational attention and provide guidance for policy making, action planning and resource allocation. GEO is both a process and a series of reports sup- porting capacity building for integrated environmen- tal assessment at global and sub-global levels. “Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4)” , the fourth issue of the GEO reporting series, was published in late 2007, exactly 20 years after the World Commission on Environ- ment and Development (Brundtland Commission) released its seminal report, Our Common Future . The year 2007 was the year of a major milestone in analyzing what has been achieved in the area of sustainable development, and the halfway point to the implementation of some of the internationally recognized development targets including the Millen- nium Development Goals. “Vital GEO Graphics” is an electronic booklet that is based on GEO-4 . This is one of many publications produced within the popular Vital Graphics series – an initiative started by UNEP/GRID-Arendal with the aim to promote communication of scientific findings in accessible easily readable and environmentally friendly format. The electronic booklet is organized around UNEP’s six cross-cutting thematic priorities specified in the UNEP Medium-term Strategy 2010–2013 1 : climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem manage- ment, environmental governance, harmful substances and hazardous waste, resource efficiency – sustain-

able consumption and production. The strategy was designed to evolve UNEP into a more efficient, fo- cused, effective and result-based environmental body of the United Nations better equipped to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. Delivering tangi- ble results against each of the priorities will be the focus of UNEP’s efforts in the period 2010–2013. Graphics from the GEO-4 assessment not only illustrate the scientific findings, which underpin the crosscutting thematic priorities of UNEP but also point out many interlinkages between them. Vital GEO Graphics tries to make the presentation of underlying scientific data and assessment findings more dynamic by means of using modern electronic presentation tools. The publication is based on maps and graphics (some of them animated), which are associated with the story line, and video clips. Most graphics are downloadable and may be used in presentations with appropriate credit given to the source. Target audiences include the UNEP Governing Council, Multilateral Environmental Agreements, other UN organizations, intergovernmental and non- governmental organizations, civil society, scientific communities, media, the private sector and the gen- eral public. Particularly, it is hoped that Vital GEO Graphics can be used as an e-learning resource for on-line education and awareness-raising of both global environmental issues and the UNEP Medium- term Strategy.

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UNEP/GCSS.X/8