As understanding of the interdependence between a healthy planet and healthy people becomes more developed, complex issues that thread through systems and societies gain new importance. Beyond the traditional Global Environment Outlook (GEO) themes addressing air, biodiversity, oceans, land and fresh water, this GEO-6 assessment addresses cross-cutting issues worthy of further examination. Using
a systems approach, these cross-cutting issues offerentry points allowing another dimension for analysing GEO-6 themes as well as understanding the network of interconnections throughout earth and human systems.

The new report “Global Linkages – A graphic look at the changing Arctic”, produced by UN Environment and its collaborating center GRID-Arendal, is a set of maps and graphics, accompanied by short narratives to synthesize and illustrate the most critical, connected environmental challenges with Arctic and global relevance and focusing on issues which call for common solutions. The graphics builds on Arctic and global environmental assessments and reflect the dynamic connection between the Arctic and the rest of the planet. It presents both trends and outlooks and provides actionable recommendations focused on policy development and options for solutions. The issues covered by this product reflect the themes of the current Finnish Chairmanship of the Arctic Council – climate change, biodiversity conservation and pollution prevention.

GEO Matters is a monthly newsletter that provides updates on GEO processes and activities.

The upcoming GEO-6, expecting to be launched in 2019, will build upon regional assessment processes and create a comprehensive picture of the environmental factors contributing to human well-being, accompanied by an analysis of policies leading to greater attainment of global environmental objectives and goals. The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is a consultative process, participatory process that builds capacity for conducting integrated environmental assessments and reporting on the state, trends and outlooks of the environment. GEO is also a series of products that informs environmental decision-making and aims to facilitate the interaction between science and policy.