Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is a biennial report prepared by UNEP on the state of the global environment, through a consultative and de-centralized process. The first edition known as "GEO-1" was launched during UNEP's 19th Governing Council in January 1997. Second edition of the series GEO-2 report was launched in 2000, which is the most authoritative assessment ever of the environmental crisis facing humanity in the new millennium.

UNEP has launched the third series of GEO report known as "GEO-3" which provides opportune brief for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable development in Johannesburg, South Africa.UNEP and some 1000 individual and 40 institutions from around world have participated in the GEO-3 report preparation process. GEO-3 sets out to provide global and regional perspective on the past, present and future environment, linked together with telling examples from within the regions to form a comprehensive and integrated assessment.

GEO-3 provides overview of major developments between 1972 and 2002 highlights significant milestones and integrates environmental, economic and social factors within a unified world view. The retrospective chapter explores many of these developments in greater depth from global and regional standpoints. The report presents a global overview and also directs a spotlight onto two or three key issues that are considered paramount in each of the seven regional arenas under each of eight environmental themes in turn: land, forests, biodiversity, freshwater, Coastal and marine areas, atmosphere, urban areas and disasters.

Analysing the most up-to-date and reliable information on these issues reveals the critical trends during the 30 year period - critical trends about the environment, and about the impacts that environmental change have had on people.

GEO-3 report also breaks new ground by using scenario analysis to explore the environmental outlook, fast-forwarding the reader into an array of alternative futures that provide insight on where events could lead us at various stages between 2002 and 2032.

GEO-2000 was edited by Robin Clarke - and published by Earthscan Publications Lton behalf of UNEP.
Telephone: +44-171 2780433;
Fax: +44-171 2781142.
It is available from Earthscan at a cost of USD 37.50
It is also accessible on http://www.unep.org/GEO/geo3