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UNEP Year Book 2014: Emerging issues in our global environment

The 2014 Year Book shows how scientific endeavour and policy actions have led to innovative solutions and vital advancements. Yet these are frequently outpaced by overall economic growth. For example, as the fuel efficiency of cars has increased, the size of the vehicle fleet continues to grow. Similarly, as the aquaculture sector expands in response to the demand for food, scientists expect that its environmental impacts may double by 2030. For the illegal wildlife trade, a state of crisis has been reached, with the world standing to lose two iconic species as a result of the demand for ivory and rhino horn if no urgent action is taken.