Prof. Catalina Turcu coordinates scientific work on UNEP’s 7th Global Environment Outlook assessment

The 7th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) is the UNEP’s flagship environmental assessment, due in 2026.   

The assessment, developed by scientists under the mandate of Member States and in consultation with key stakeholders, bears resemblance to IPCC reports. However, its focus is wider, examining the state and trends of the environment, the impact of current crises (climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, together with land degradation) on human systems, and overall progress toward the Agenda 2030 and SDGs. 

The assessment will develop a broad blueprint for transformative and systemic change, offering valuable guidance into the potential environmental and socio-economic outcomes of such transformations.

Prof. Turcu coordinates a team of scientists in preparing the final chapter of GEO-7, titled 'Driving the Transformation'. Following the Vienna Authors Meeting the emerging narrative of the chapter notes that: 

• There is a broad blueprint for transformation, but a diversity of implementation pathways are needed across the economic, energy, food, waste and environmental systems.

• Transformation is hindered by barriers (economic, social, environmental, institutional, technological) and lock-ins (combinations of barriers within and across systems), which can be broken-down and overcome by agents of change (stakeholders, networks of agents, and communities of interest).

• The agents of change can be motivated to take action and/or drive transformation by ‘motivators’ – framed by ontological motivations that can work across agents and systems – such as health and wellbeing, economic incentives, legislation and regulation, and cultural, social norms and common beliefs.

• Accelerating transformation is possible but must be inclusive.

Prof. Catalina Turcu lectures on the programme 'Sustainable Urbanism MSc' and on the following modules: 'BPLN0106 Sustainable Urban Development Project' and 'BPLN0114 SDGs, Climate Action and Spatial Planning'.