Global Environment Outlook Explained: UPSC Current Affairs

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Context

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the “Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) report, "A Future We Choose," which warns that the planet has entered "uncharted territory."

What is Global Environment Outlook (GEO)?

It is an environmental assessment series that provides a comprehensive, science-based review of the state and direction of the global environment.

UNEP has published seven comprehensive GEO reports since 1997, with the most recent, GEO-7, launched in December 2025.

Purpose and Goals

Assess the environment by tracking environmental state and trends at global and regional scales.

Evaluate policy effectiveness, analyzing how well existing policies address environmental challenges.

Provide guidance for decision-making, offering policy options and potential pathways to achieve internationally agreed environmental goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Bridge the science-policy interface, ensuring that the best available scientific knowledge informs national and international environmental law and policy.

Key Findings of Recent Global Environmental Assessments

The planet is facing a 'polycrisis' where climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are deeply interlinked and mutually reinforcing. Current global efforts are insufficient to meet established environmental goals.

Accelerated Climate Change: Global mean temperatures are projected to rise 2.4°C to 3.9°C above pre-industrial levels this century, exceeding the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target.

Massive Biodiversity Loss: An estimated 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades.

Widespread Land Degradation: Up to 40% of the world's land is degraded, directly affecting half of humanity, food security and ecosystem stability.

Escalating Pollution & Waste: Global annual municipal solid waste generation is projected to increase from 2.01 billion tonnes in 2016 to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050.

What is Polycrisis?

The 'polycrisis' concept highlights that environmental challenges are interconnected, forming a vicious cycle where each worsening crisis accelerates the others.
For example, deforestation destroys wildlife habitat and simultaneously reduces the Earth's capacity to absorb CO2, thus worsening climate change.
This interconnectedness demands integrated, holistic solutions rather than siloed approaches.

Socio-Economic Implications

Cost of Inaction:

Continuing on the current path could slash global income by an average of 19% by 2050 compared to a world without climate change.
Climate impacts are projected to cause up to 14.5 million deaths in low- and middle-income countries by 2050.
Mass climate-induced migration is a growing threat, with projections of over 1.2 billion people being displaced globally by 2050.

Benefits of Transformation:

Investing in sustainable, green transitions presents an economic opportunity.
Improved air quality alone could prevent millions of premature deaths. Air pollution accounts for more than 2 million deaths a year in India. (Source: State of Global Air)
A transition to sustainable systems in energy, food, and finance could unlock long-term economic growth and lift millions out of poverty and hunger.

Asia-Pacific's Vulnerability

SDG Progress Lag: The region has achieved only 17% of the necessary progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Delayed Targets: At its current pace, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to achieve the SDGs only by 2062, a 32-year delay from the 2030 target.

Urgent Priorities: Key priorities for the region include building climate resilience, tackling pollution, and transitioning to sustainable land-use practices.

Implications for India

India is highly vulnerable to climate change, posing serious risks to the economy, public health, and national security..

High Vulnerability: India was ranked the 7th most affected country by extreme weather events in the period 2000-2019. (Source: Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index)
Constitutional Mandate: In the 2024 case M.K. Ranjitsinh & Ors. v. Union of India, the Supreme Court declared the "right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change" a fundamental right, deriving from Articles 14 (right to equality) and 21 (right to life) of the Constitution.

India’s Strategy for a Sustainable Future

The creation of the Ministry of Cooperation aims to strengthen cooperative movements, which can play a vital role in community-led environmental projects.

Under the Bonn Challenge, India has pledged to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030.

The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, prohibited specific single-use plastic items. The framework emphasizes Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), making producers responsible for the environmental management of their products until the end of their life cycle.

NITI Aayog is leading discussions on a "Just Transition" policy for coal-dependent regions. The goal is to ensure that the shift to a green economy does not negatively impact the livelihoods of millions dependent on the fossil fuel industry.

An Inter-Ministerial Committee has recommended focusing on economic diversification, skill development, and social security nets for communities in coal-rich states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha to facilitate a smooth and equitable transition to green jobs.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH

Attempt Daily Quiz

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. With reference to the UNEP GEO-7 report, consider the following statements:

1. It projects that current commitments will limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C, in line with the Paris Agreement.

2. It highlights the interconnectedness of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution, terming it a "polycrisis".

3. The report suggests that a systemic transformation towards sustainability could yield long-term economic returns.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 2 and 3 only

C) 3 only

D) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The report states that current commitments and policies are insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement goals. It projects that global temperature increases are likely to exceed 1.5°C in the early 2030s and 2.0°C by the 2040s under a business-as-usual scenario, a path that falls far short of limiting warming to "well below 2°C".

Statement 2 is correct: The report highlights the interconnected nature of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution, and emphasizes that these must be addressed in an integrated manner, often referred to as a "polycrisis" in related discussions and reports.

Statement 3 is correct: The report suggests that a systemic transformation towards sustainability, while having upfront costs, could yield significant long-term economic benefits, with annual global gains projected to reach approximately $20 trillion by 2070.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The GEO-7 is a comprehensive assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), compiled by hundreds of scientists. It evaluates the state of the global environment and provides projections on climate change, biodiversity, pollution, and land degradation, offering policy guidance for governments.

The term "polycrisis" refers to the interconnected nature of the world's major environmental challenges—climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution. The report emphasizes that these are not isolated issues but crises that reinforce and worsen one another.

It is a policy framework recommended by an Inter-Ministerial Committee under NITI Aayog. Its goal is to manage the socio-economic impact of transitioning away from fossil fuels, particularly coal. The policy would focus on reskilling workers and creating new economic opportunities in green sectors for communities in coal-dependent states like Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.