The Global Environment Outlook is a major publication for all those who are interested in environmental issues. It has brought together thousands of scientists and hundreds of collaborating centres. This GEO report builds on the assessment findings of its predecessor and draws from lessons learnt. The currently observed changes to the Earth System are unprecedented in human history. Efforts to slow the rate or extent of change including enhanced resource efficiency and mitigation measures have resulted in moderate successes but have not succeeded in reversing adverse environmental changes. Neither the scope of these nor their speed has abated in the past five years. As human pressures on the Earth System accelerate, several critical global, regional and local thresholds are close or have been exceeded. Once these have been passed, abrupt and possibly irreversible changes to the life-support functions of the planet are likely to occur, with significant adverse implications for human well-being."