• The sixth environment action programme identifies four priorities: * climate change * nature and biodiversity * environment and health, and quality of life * natural resources and waste.

• But a fully integrated study of the so-called 'nature - society system' entails finding common denominators and even coining a new language which practitioners of both the natural and social sciences can understand, the report concludes.

• Climate change is expected to increase the areal extent and productivity of forests over the next 50 - 100 years (medium confidence). However, climate change is likely to cause changes in the nature and extent of several "disturbance factors" (e.g., fire, insect outbreaks) (medium confidence).