This Worldwatch Institute report, latest of its State of the World series of publications, came for review with a 35-page set of policy briefs reinforcing the key points made in its 17 chapters. Designed to ‘promote discussion’ at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (‘Rio+20’; 20–22 June 2012, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), the authors must feel deflated by the relatively weak outcomes from a massively attended and expensive meeting, perhaps not unexpected in an era of austerity and global competitiveness.

After 28 introductory pages, including ‘State of the World: A Year in Review’, the chapters encompass 31 information boxes, 7 tables and 17 figures. The chapters are entitled as follows: (1) Making the Green Economy Work for Everyone, (2) The Path to Degrowth in Overdeveloped Countries, (3) Planning for Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Development, (4) Moving Toward Sustainable Transport, (5) Information and Communications Technologies Creating Livable, Equitable, Sustainable Cities, (6) Measuring U.S. Sustainable Urban Development, (7) Reinventing the Corporation, (8) A New Global Architecture for Sustainability Governance, (9) Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion, (10) From Light Green to Sustainable Buildings, (11) Public Policies on More-Sustainable Consumption, (12) Mobilizing the Business Community in Brazil and Beyond, (13) Growing a Sustainable Future, (14) Food Security and Equity in a Climate-Constrained World, (15) Biodiversity: Combating the Sixth Mass Extinction, (16) Ecosystem Services for Sustainable Prosperity and (17) Getting Local Government Right. Together with 35 pages of referenced notes and a 15-page index, the essentially proselytising, sometimes utopian, chapters constitute a worthy, excellent-value compendium of environmental information.