This project aims at strengthening science-based policy-making for increased impact towards the Sustainable Development Goals by assessing key environmental issues and providing focused outlooks. It attempts to identify environmental challenges and opportunities for sustainable development, while strengthening the science-policy interface to support regional, national and local governments, the business sector, and civil society including non-governmental organizations and local community groups (women, men and children). The project’s approach will be integrated, inclusive and evidence-based, ensuring scientific robustness and credibility, policy-neutral legitimacy and enhanced transparency. Informed decision- and policy-making on today’s key environmental matters at regional, national and local scales should be based on the sound scientific assessment of the state of the environment, in conjunction with the driving forces, trends in pressures and their environmental impact, while providing policy response options and solutions for governments and other stakeholders. While we near the end of the second decade of the Twenty-First Century, governments and principal stakeholders often still lack adequate capacity and robust knowledge in the fields of data collection, information, analysis, scientific assessments, and science-based policy options. Often, the lack of access to sound scientific data, clear information and robust knowledge continues to hamper decision-making by policy-makers and relevant stakeholders. This project is meant to tackle this challenge for a set of specific and selected environmental themes as requested by governments and stakeholders during the past few years.