UNEP year book 2008: an overview of our changing environment

The momentum on climate change was nothing short of breathtaking in 2007, culminating in the adoption of the Bali Road Map at the climate convention meetings in Indonesia. Climate change and its implications for endangered ecosystems, geopolitical stability, and economic security have ceased to be the preoccupation of scientists and negotiators. It is now recognized as a universal public issue that will dominate global attention for at least a generation. This 2008 UNEP Year Book documents some of the many insights, events, and issues that have emerged during 2007 and, not surprisingly, it is dominated by the theme of climate change. The findings of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-established by UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization-put an end to the issue of whether climate change is happening and outlined in great clarity the likely impacts.