Core Insights - The GEO-7 report warns that humanity is pushing the Earth towards an environmental collapse, which could have catastrophic consequences for human health and the global economy. However, it emphasizes that it is not too late to change direction and presents an action plan focused on transforming five key systems: economy and finance, materials and waste, energy, food, and environment [2][16]. Group 1: Economic and Financial Transformation - The report advocates for countries to adopt a "natural capital accounting system" to better assess their wealth by monetizing natural resources and ecosystem services, moving beyond GDP as the sole measure of economic health [3][17]. - It suggests redirecting $1.5 trillion in government subsidies that currently harm the environment towards sustainable sectors and imposing special taxes on environmentally damaging goods and services [4][18]. - Governments are urged to align their budgets and economic policies with major environmental agreements like the Paris Agreement and to promote green technology investments [4][18]. Group 2: Circular Economy and Waste Management - The GEO-7 report emphasizes the importance of adopting a circular economy model to combat pollution and waste, advocating for redesigning, reusing, repairing, and recycling existing products [5][19]. - It recommends establishing product design standards to enhance durability and reparability, requiring companies to take responsibility for product disposal, and incentivizing the development of circular products through tax reforms [5][19]. - The report highlights that a circular economy is crucial for transforming food, energy, and materials systems, enabling a synergistic development of economic and environmental goals [5][19]. Group 3: Renewable Energy Investment - The report states that over 80% of global energy comes from fossil fuels, exacerbating climate crises, and calls for an expansion of renewable energy sources like wind and solar [8][22]. - It advocates for the electrification of transportation and the exploration of alternative fuels like hydrogen for hard-to-electrify industrial sectors [8][22]. - Countries are encouraged to improve energy efficiency in buildings and urban planning to reduce energy demand while ensuring that the extraction of minerals for renewable technologies does not harm the environment [8][22]. Group 4: Food Production and Consumption - The GEO-7 report identifies unsustainable food production methods as a contributor to climate change and biodiversity loss, urging countries, especially wealthier ones, to adopt more environmentally friendly diets [8][22]. - It emphasizes the need for improved efficiency in crop and livestock production, reducing land use, and enhancing sustainability in fisheries [8][22]. - The report also calls for collaboration among governments, businesses, and consumers to minimize food waste and explore innovative food production methods like lab-grown meat and vertical farming [8][22]. Group 5: Natural World Protection - The report highlights the triple crisis of climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss, urging countries to expand protected areas and restore damaged ecosystems [11][25]. - It advocates for the application of natural solutions, such as tree planting, to mitigate extreme temperatures in urban areas affected by climate change [11][25]. - The report suggests developing the bio-resources sector, which utilizes biological materials for energy production and product manufacturing, while emphasizing the need for transparency and equity in managing shared resources like forests and fisheries [11][25][26].