United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 2004. UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya. 208 pp. $20 paperback.

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) held its 22nd Governing Council in early 2003 and decided at that meeting to prepare an annual Global Environmental Outlook statement. The statement's purpose is to “highlight significant environmental events and achievements during the year and raise awareness of emerging issues from scientific research and other sources,” according to Klaus Topfer, the Executive Director of UNEP. This slim yet useful Yearbook is the Program's response to that decision. Its primary goal is to make new environmental information accessible in a timely fashion and bridge gaps between environmental science and policy. After an explanatory preface, UNEP sets forth a global overview followed by a series of chapters that are geographically focused.