The State of the World - Definition and Overview

The State of the World is a book published annually by the Worldwatch Institute. The series attempts to identify the World’s most significant environmental challenges.

In his controversial book The Skeptical Environmentalist published in 2001, the Danish political scientist Bjørn Lomborg called it "one of the best-researched and academically most ambitious environmental policy publications". Yet it is also criticised for citing short-term trends as portending disaster, which does not come to pass as the long-term trend is decidedly benign. Lomborg gave as examples the predictions on wheat price increases and World trade decreases.