The OECD Environmental Outlook provides projections to 2020 of environmental pressures from key economic sectors (agriculture, forestry, fishery, transport, energy and selected industry sectors) and changes in the state of the environment for selected environmental issues (freshwater, biodiversity, climate change, air quality and waste). Cross-sectoral issues are also examined, such as human health and the environment, the social and environmental interface and resource efficiency.

The OECD Environmental Outlook also assesses the underlying institutional frameworks for the environment, and identifies and examines the economic and environmental effects of concrete policy packages to address the main problems identified.  The key findings of the report are summarised using traffic lights.  These include a number of "red light" issues which need to be addressed urgently by OECD countries, but also "yellow lights" which require further investigation or some action, and "green lights" for which OECD countries should proceed with caution.

This book has been named a Notable Government Document by the American Library Association.