UN Chief calls for action to protect biodiversity and combat climate change

One million species now under threat, and humanity is to blame, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has warned, in a call to protect the plants, animals, microorganisms and more, that sustain all life on Earth.

Pollution, climate chaos, habitat loss and exploitation of nature have pushed a million plant and animal species to the brink of extinction. Guterres called on developed countries to invest in biodiversity and climate action in developing countries, and that all Governments must create new national climate plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as well as national biodiversity strategies that implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Protecting and restoring natural habitats
Conservation is key. Today, according to the UN, one-third of the planet’s land is degraded, making it harder to feed a global population that recently surpassed 8 billion. Restoring biodiversity could also slow down climate change by storing carbon dioxide from the Earth’s atmosphere. Land and ocean ecosystems currently absorb 60% of human-caused emissions.