ABSTRACT
Since its establishment in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has had prime responsibility in the international arena for keeping the world’s environment under review. The organization took up the task early on and continues it to the present day. However, the approach used by UNEP for global environmental assessment in the early days changed significantly in the 1990s and, after further evolution, bears little resemblance to today’s integrated environmental assessment approach (Box 1.1.1). This chapter looks at why, when and how the process evolved into a new way of doing business and provides the starting point for a more indepth exploration in subsequent chapters of the rationale, evolution, outcomes and impacts of what is now known as the Global Environment Outlook (GEO).
