Trends in Sustainable Development (2006)

Published in May 2006, Trends in Sustainable Development is a colorful compilation of maps and graphs addressing interrelated challenges in four areas: energy for sustainable development, industrial development, atmosphere and air pollution, and climate change. Top trends include the following:

• The world is gradually shifting to cleaner forms of energy, but traditional biomass is still widely used in the household sector of some developing regions.
  

• The developed countries remain the world’s largest industrial producers, but the center of gravity has begun to shift towards the developing world. Developing countries account for roughly one-third of global manufactured exports, up from 18% in 1980.
  

• The phase-outs of leaded gasoline and CFCs are global success stories but particulate air pollution and SO2 emissions remain high in many developing country cities.
  

• The transport sector has seen substantial growth in greenhouse emissions. In developed countries emissions from international aviation have grown twice as fast as overall transport emissions.

The report was released in conjunction with the 14th session of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development.