The world's most comprehensive and inclusive environmental assessment process started in Nairobi this week, as over two hundred government representatives institutions and experts discussed and adopted the objectives, scope and process for the next Global Environment Outlook-5 (GEO-5 Report), to be released in 2012.

Since the initial 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, global concern for environmental and developmental issues has increased, leading to an extensive range of internationally agreed environmental and development goals. However, progress towards meeting these goals has in many cases, been slow. There has also been a marked deterioration and degradation of the planet's natural resources and increasing demands from a burgeoning global population.

GEO-5 will provide an assessment of the state, trends and outlook of the global environment to understand where we are in relation to meeting these goals. It will also analyze policy options to identify those that could help speed up the achievement of these goals.

GEO-5 will build on national, regional and global assessments and reports, as well as peer reviewed scientific literature.

Co-chair of the meeting, Mr. Martijn Dadema said "We're excited to have agreed on the nature and ambition of this important report. It's findings should be the litmus test for future action and achievements to stop the degradation and wasteful use of our planet's natural resources. GEO 5 will be a blueprint determining humanity's future. We hope that the report will have a major input into the Rio+20 decision-making process in 2012".

"A large part of GEO-5's remit will be to assist with capacity building to conduct environmental assessments and policy analysis" said Peter Gilruth, Director of the UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment.

Next steps include nominations of experts by governments and other stakeholder groups including collaborating centers. The final Statement which outlines the adopted objectives, scope and process for GEO-5 will be made available on UNEP's website (www.unep.org/geo) shortly.