Trends in the Environment

Key points in this POSTnote include:

• Human activities have altered natural processes on a planetary scale, which may affect the wellbeing of future generations.
• The main pressures on the environment are activities that emit wastes or prioritise the short-term use of natural resources over the long-term consequences.
• There have been some environmental improvements in developed countries, but negative global trends persist in the atmospheric, aquatic and terrestrial environments.
• There are policy options that could protect the environment while meeting human needs. They require more efficient use of resources and mitigation of drivers of environmental change, such as pollution