Scores of "state of the environment" (SOE) reports have been prepared for countries and regions throughout the world, particularly in the last decade. This is striking evidence of a growing international interest in environmental quality. Regional, national, and, in some cases, even global in scope, SOE reports cover developed and developing countries and have been prepared both by government environmental agencies and by nongovernmental groups. The core of an SOE report is a comprehensive assessment of environmental conditions and trends, although many also contain analyses of current or proposed policies. SOE reports may serve several important functions, and the chief limit to their effectiveness may be the failure to perceive the multiple functions that can be served by a single document.