“This planet is our only home,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message to World Environment Day, which will be commemorated this Sunday, warning that the planet’s natural systems are “not meeting our needs.”One
“It is vital that we protect the health of the atmosphere, the abundance and diversity of life on Earth, ecosystems and limited resources. But we are not doing that,” the UN chief said.One
“We’re asking too much of the planet to maintain an unsustainable way of life,” he warned, noting that it’s not just harming the planet, but its inhabitants.
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Since 1973, the day has been used to raise awareness and generate political momentum for growing environmental problems such as toxic chemical pollution, desertification and global warming.
It has since grown into a global action platform that helps drive changes in consumer habits and national and international environmental policies.
By providing food, clean water, medicines, climate regulation and protection from extreme weather events, Mr Guterres reminded that a healthy environment is essential for people and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).One
“We must manage nature wisely and ensure equitable access to its services, especially for the most vulnerable and communities,” Mr Guterres stressed.
More than 3 billion people are affected by ecosystem degradation.Pollution kills about 9 million people prematurely every year, and more than 1 million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction – many within decades, according to the head of the United Nations.
“Nearly half of humanity is already in the climate danger zone — 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts such as extreme heat, floods and droughts,” he said, adding that there was a 50:50 chance that global temperatures It will exceed the 1.5°C stipulated in the Paris Agreement within the next five years.One
Fifty years ago, when world leaders came together at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, they pledged to protect the planet.One
“But we are far from success. We can no longer ignore the alarm bells that are ringing every day,” warned a senior UN official.
The recent Stockholm+50 Environment Conference reiterated that all 17 SDGs depend on a healthy planet to avoid the triple crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
He urged governments to prioritize climate action and environmental protection through policy decisions that promote sustainable progress.One
The Secretary-General outlined proposals to activate renewable energy everywhere by making renewable technologies and raw materials available to all, reducing red tape, shifting subsidies and tripling investments.
“Businesses need to put sustainability at the heart of their decisions, for the sake of people and their own bottom lines. A healthy planet is the backbone of almost every industry on the planet,” he said.
He advocates for the empowerment of women and girls to be “powerful agents of change”, including in decision-making at all levels.And uphold the use of indigenous and traditional knowledge to help protect fragile ecosystems.
Noting that history shows what can be achieved when we put the planet first, the UN chief pointed to a continent-sized hole in the ozone layer, prompting every country to commit to the Montreal Protocol to phase out ozone depletion of chemicals.One
“This year and next will provide more opportunities for the international community to demonstrate the power of multilateralism to tackle our intertwined environmental crises, from negotiating a new global biodiversity framework to reversing nature loss by 2030, to developing a Treaty to tackle plastic pollution,” he said.
Mr Guterres reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to lead global collaborative efforts “because the only way forward is to work with nature, not against it”.One
Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), reminded that the International Day was born at a United Nations conference in the Swedish capital in 1972, with the understanding that “we need to stand up to protect the air, the land and the air we all depend on. The water…[and] the power of man is important, and very important….
“Today, as we look to the present and future of heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires, pandemics, dirty air and plastic-filled oceans, yes, war operations are more important than ever, and we are in a race against time .”EUR
Politicians must look beyond elections to “generational victories,” she stressed; financial institutions must fund the planet and businesses should be accountable to nature.
Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, David Boyd, has warned that conflict is fuelling environmental damage and human rights abuses.
“Peace is a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable development and the full enjoyment of human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” he said.
Conflict consumes “a lot” of energy; producing “massive emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases,” he argues, increasing toxic air, water and soil pollution, and damaging nature.
The UN-appointed independent expert has highlighted the environmental impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its rights implications, including the right to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, saying it will take years to repair the damage.
“Many countries have announced plans to expand oil, gas and coal extraction in response to the war in Ukraine,” Mr Boyd said, noting that multibillion-dollar proposals for post-conflict reconstruction and recovery would also increase pressure on the environmental world.
The destruction of thousands of buildings and basic infrastructure will leave millions without access to safe drinking water – another fundamental right.
As the world grapples with climate damage, biodiversity collapse and widespread pollution, the UN expert stressed: “The war must be ended as soon as possible, peace ensured and the process of recovery and recovery begin.”
Global well-being is at risk – in large part because we are not delivering on our commitments to the environment – UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday.
It’s been five years since Sweden hosted the world’s first conference to address the environment as a major issue, a nod to a “human sacrifice zone” that, according to the UN, could be if we don’t take care of it Become a human rights expert in the “Human Sacrifice Zone”.On Monday, ahead of new discussions this week in Stockholm to discuss further action, experts warned that a larger effort is needed that could save millions of lives each year.
Post time: Jun-06-2022