The first ever United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the core theme of this issue of Our Planet. Sustainable Development Goals, the need to decouple economic growth from natural resource depletion and the way forward within the context of the Post-2105 Development Agenda are all robustly discussed in this edition’s feature articles. With contributions from experts in sustainable development, the topics range from the role cities can take in lowering their carbon footprint, through progress in environmental planning in China, to Africa’s opportunities to develop its renewable energy sources. Three inspiring innovations relating to sustainable development are also covered along with UNEP’s latest publications and a section on the organization’s dedicated goodwill ambassadors.

This issue focuses on the range of climate change issues to be discussed at the COP19 in Warsaw. The topics discussed range from the need for a new agreement on combating climate change to improving energy efficient and promoting green businesses.

The United Nations Environment Programme's flagship magazine for environmentally sustainable development.

As Environment Ministers gather in Nairobi for their annual meeting of the UNEP Governing Council in February 2012, all eyes are on the follow-up to the Earth Summit of 1992, or Rio+20. This meeting, taking place in June, may prove to be an opportunity where the Green Economy initiative is translated into a fresh and forward-looking way of finally realizing sustainable development for seven billion people, rising to over nine billion by 2050.