In the realm of knowledge and science, report covers can be provocative and useful tools to convey complex ideas and convert potential readers of a report into actual ones.
For the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), perhaps no cover challenge has been greater than that of the seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7), UNEPs flagship assessment on the state of the planet. Published once every five-to-ten years most recently in December 2025 this seminal report represents the work of nearly 300 leading environmental scientists from 82 countries. Numbering more than 1,200 pages that dive deep into whats happening globally and in each region, it explores in unparalleled detail how the global environment is changing and what can be done about it.
For this GEO, the cover needed to reflect the state of the world while also conveying a sense of hope. It sought to inform political decisions without encroaching on sensitivities. And, it had to be easily translatable into every language and culture around the globe.
To achieve this, teams from across UNEP met multiple times to develop a shortlist of titles, which were then used to create images to support and reinforce the reports messages. Ideas were tested to understand how people from diverse backgrounds interpreted the same visual cues, and multiple times, the process went back to the drawing board, with new titles and imagery having to be developed again from scratch. Ultimately, just a few covers were presented to UNEPs leadership for the final selection.
Here, Bev McDonald, the graphic designer behind the GEO-7 cover, takes us through some of the designs that were not selected, but helped result in the one that was.
Live long and prosper
Anyone who loves Star Trek will immediately understand this title. Spock, one of the main characters, uses the pictured hand signal to communicate the titles phrase as a blessing. The report homes in on the health consequences of pollution, as well as the potential economic gains of environmental investment, and to convey this, the image of a hand adorned with plants shows that humanitys health and prosperity depend on how well we care for nature. But, of course, for anyone who doesnt know the cultural reference, the meaning would be lost, and so this cover was not chosen.
Staying alive
The image of an hourglass with the Earth pouring through it shows that time is running out to take action on the environment. Indeed, the report lays out a number of striking projections about life in the future, such as the rising human death tolls due to pollution, the risk of extinction of 1 million species, and that nearly all warm water corals will be lost with a 2C temperature rise. However, coupled with the title inspired by the Bee Gees song, the messaging aims to say that by working toward solutions symbolised by the flower there is still hope. By investing in nature, we would not only buy ourselves time, but also stave off millions of deaths, lift people out of poverty, and ensure a more livable future for all species.But ultimately, the team worried that the full meaning behind the image would not be easily interpreted by viewers, so this cover was not chosen.
A great transformation
While the report paints a bleak picture of the future according to projections based on business-as-usual, many of its pages are devoted to describing how a new pathway can be charted by transforming key sectors namely economy and finance, materials and waste, energy, food and the environment to align with planetary boundaries. To capture this, the title of this cover also comes from political history, but the visuals help give it new meaning. McDonald used the mythological Phoenix reborn from the flame to send a message of rebirth and the planets cyclical nature, where endings give rise to new beginnings. The result was a bit too removed from UNEPs traditional report style, so this option was not selected.
How to save the world
The image on this cover is an environmental interpretation of Michelangelo's painting in the Sistine Chapel depicting the creation of Adam, here showing man and nature touching hands rather than man and God. While it helps frame the report as a toolkit of ways in which humans can return to a closer and wiser relationship with nature, it was ultimately not chosen because of the Christian religious context that could polarize some viewers.
The future Earth dividend
This cover focused on the report's findings on climate financing and the economic sense of investing in a greener future. According to the report, achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 through technological advances and efficiency gains will require around US$8 trillion in annual investment, but the cost of inaction would be far greater. From mid-century onward, this transition is projected to deliver major economic benefits, rising to US$20 trillion per year by 2070 and up to US$100 trillion annually thereafter. Rather than trying to summarize this narrative in a lengthy title, economic growth is communicated through the visual concept instead. What were trying to do here is marry art and science, so the cover is both artistic and meaningful, said McDonald. However, while it delivers a message, this cover did not carry the intended weight for such an important report.
FINAL COVER: A future we choose
Here, everything just came together, said McDonald. The simplicity of the image, depicting Earth from space, offers a universal perspective that naturally evokes empathy and care for our shared home. The title, meanwhile, places responsibility and agency firmly in humanitys hands, signaling that, with the insights and guidance of this report, we have the capacity to shape a more sustainable future for life on this planet.
