The UNEP Global Environment Outlook Data Portal

The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Global Environment Outlook Data Portal is the authoritative source for the data sets used by UNEP and its partners for the widely respected Global Environment Outlook report and other integrated and thematic environment assessments.

The data portal’s strengths are its comprehensive scope and its user-friendly functionality. The on-line database includes data sets ranging from threatened amphibian species and waste-related methane emissions to human life expectancy and a global humidity index, and from the national to the global levels. The original data come from over 50 providers that are recognized as the best sources, sometimes under special agreement with UNEP. All data are vigorously checked and documented before being aggregated or otherwise processed and put on-line.

	Evolution of emissions of CO2 - from Fossil Fuels - Total (CDIAC) for China, USA and Germany Source: UNEP/DEWA/GRID-Europe, GEO Data Portal; compiled from CDIAC, Marland,G.,T.A. Boden, and R.J. Anders. 2008. Global, Regional, and National Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions

The user-friendly Global Environment Outlook (or, coincidentally, GEO) Data Portal is driven by an open-source database programme. Its functionalities include the ability to view data sets as graphs, maps or tables; to compare data across countries and regions; and to make statistical analyses. Users can also easily download any of the data sets into Excel and other popular formats to conduct their own further analysis. The Data Portal offers several ‘web services’ enabling data providers and other clients to integrate maps and data tables either via the Portal’s site or their own websites ‘on the fly’.

By bringing this wide and diverse array of environmental and socio-economic data into one location, UNEP seeks to facilitate easy access to relevant data and to support analyses such as country to country and region to region comparisons of some 500 variables related to environment and development. It also aims to support assessment and management of natural and human resources as well as environmental planning in general.

The UNEP Global Environment Outlook Data Portal is maintained by UNEP’s DEWA/GRID-Europe office in Geneva at www.unep.org/geo/data and at http://geodata.grid.unep.ch