New UNEP Report: Investing in Planetary Health Could Boost Global GDP and Save Millions of Lives

A major new UN assessment finds that transforming the world’s environmental and economic systems could generate at least US$20 trillion in annual global GDP by 2070, while preventing millions of deaths and lifting people out of poverty and hunger.

Released at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, the Global Environment Outlook, Seventh Edition (GEO-7) is the most comprehensive environmental assessment ever produced, drawing on the expertise of 287 scientists from 82 countries. It warns that climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution already cost the world trillions of dollars each year and will intensify without urgent action.

Transforming Five Key Systems

The report outlines sweeping changes across five areas:

• Economy and finance: move beyond GDP and reform harmful subsidies.
• Materials and waste: shift to circular design and consumption.
• Energy: decarbonize and expand energy access.
• Food systems: promote sustainable diets and cut food loss and waste.
• Environment: restore ecosystems and scale up adaptation and resilience efforts.

Under two modeled transformation pathways, global benefits begin appearing by 2050 and rise sharply. By mid-century, these actions could avoid nine million premature deaths, lift 200 million people out of undernourishment, and move 100 million people out of extreme poverty.

Annual investment needs are high, needing about US$8 trillion to reach net-zero emissions and protect biodiversity, but far lower than the projected costs of inaction.

Business-as-Usual Risks

Without major changes, the world is on track to exceed 1.5°C of warming by the early 2030s, with climate impacts reducing global GDP by 4 per cent by 2050. Pollution already causes nine million deaths each year, and land degradation affects more than three billion people. Plastic waste, now eight billion tonnes, continues to rise.

A Window for Action

Despite alarming trends, GEO-7 notes that global agreements, renewable energy growth and expanding protected areas show that progress is possible. The report calls on governments, the private sector, civil society and Indigenous Peoples to accelerate integrated, whole-of-society action.

Read the full report here.