The GEO-2000 report released in London on 15 September 1999 is based on contributions from more than 850 individuals and 30 regional and international collaborating centres as well as UN agencies.
Its key finding is that the continued poverty of the majority of the planet's inhabitants and excessive consumption by the minority are the two major causes of environmental degradation. Despite some remarkable achievements in recent years to reverse environmental deterioration, the present course is still unsustainable and time to a well planned transition to a sustainable system is running out. GEO-2000 identifies new threats such as:
- nitrogen's harmful impact on ecosystems;
- increased severity of natural disasters;
- species invasion as a result of globalisation;
- decline in the quality of governance;
- new wars which impact on the immediate environmental and neighbouring states; and
- the impact of refugees on the natural environment.
This GEO-2000 report is now available on line. Click here
Below are useful links to other sources of information related to State of the World: