News Nature Action

Spotlight on nature and biodiversity

Nature is humanity’s lifeline. Human health, food, economies and well-being depend on nature. Yet nature is in crisis. One million of the world’s estimated 8 million species of plants and animals are threatened with extinction. Meanwhile, ecosystem degradation is affecting the well-being of 40 per cent of the global population.

The spotlight on nature and biodiversity highlights updates from around the UN System, from partners and others, helping to call attention to the need for a just, prosperous and sustainable future for all.

01 Jul 2024 13:45

Astrid Schomaker of Germany assumes role of UN Biodiversity Executive Secretary in Montreal

Astrid Schomaker of Germany has officially taken up her appointment as Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Assuming the role ahead of the sixteenth meeting of the CBD’s 196 Parties (COP 16), Ms. Schomaker brings extensive experience in international relations, negotiations, and global environmental policy-making and deep knowledge of the global sustainable development agenda and Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

28 Jun 2024 08:34

Republic of Azerbaijan to host World Environment Day 2026

Azerbaijan, Caucasus mountains
Credit: Pixabay

The Republic of Azerbaijan will host World Environment Day 2026 with a focus on climate change.

World Environment Day, which Baku will host on 5 June 2026, is the largest global platform for environmental engagement and action. Established by the UN General Assembly in 1972, the Day inspires and is celebrated by millions of people worldwide, who participate in online and in-person activities and events around the world to accelerate environmental progress for people and planet.

27 Jun 2024 16:35

Media accreditation opens for UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia

The Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) invites media to apply for accreditation to this fall’s UN Biodiversity Conference, consisting of

The theme that Colombia, the host country, chose for COP 16 is “Peace with nature”.

27 Jun 2024 16:08

Protecting biodiversity in South Africa

 

27 Jun 2024 12:45

Actions to strengthen marine turtle conservation agreed at UN meeting in Tanzania

A turtle underwater
Credit: Canva

Governments, scientific experts, and stakeholders convened over four days in an international meeting to address urgent conservation issues affecting marine turtles in the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia region.

The 9th Meeting of the Signatory States to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA Marine Turtles MOU) reached an agreement on several conservation actions. These include the adoption of a Single Species Action Plan for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, recommendations on beach management and hatchery practices, and the endorsement of guidance on identifying critical habitats for turtles. 

18 Jun 2024 15:11

As trees rise, parched African landscapes spring back to life

Two people planting a tree
Credit: CIFOR-ICRAF

More than 600,000 households in six countries have benefited from an initiative to restore African landscapes suffering from drought and desertification. 

The initiative, Regreening Africa, has restored more than 350,000 hectares across Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal and Somalia. Find out more.

06 Jun 2024 16:07

Coral bleaching: why and what it means for the ocean’s future

A diver swims near a patch of white corals.
Credit: The Ocean Agency/Ocean Image Bank 

Rising ocean temperatures are threatening the world's corals, which support 25 per cent of marine life.

This story explains what this could mean for the future of these undersea cities.

05 Jun 2024 11:28

Leo's Search for a New Home: a performance on 8 June in Mombasa

A poster with a photo and text
Image: Go Blue Project

When: 8 June | 4 pm

Where: Swahilipot Hub, Mombasa, Kenya

"Leo's Search for a New Home” is a heartwarming and inspiring story that teaches children the importance of recycling and reducing the use of plastics, caring about our common home, the Earth as individuals but also as part of a global community.

The story follows Leo, a young sea turtle looking for a place he can call home. As Leo sets out on a journey to find a new home, he encounters a variety of different ocean animals and scenarios, each with its own unique set of characteristics and challenges.

UNEP and UN-Habitat through the EU-funded Go Blue Project have sponsored this event.

04 Jun 2024 13:01

Happening today: Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Agrifood Systems

Banner image with words
Image: EMG

The webinar titled "Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Agrifood Systems", happening today from 15:00 – 16:30 CEST, will focus on actions and initiatives aimed at mainstreaming biodiversity across agrifood sectors.

Held in collaboration with FAO and IFAD, this is the second in the UN Common Approach to Biodiversity webinar series.

See the meeting agenda and joining instructions.

04 Jun 2024 08:32

What's coming up on day two of the Fifth Montevideo Programme Meeting

Delegates listen to proceedings at the Second Global Meeting of National Focal Points
Photo: UNEP/Eugene Kaiga

A number of sessions and events taking place today, including discussions on implementation and funding of the Montevideo Programme; a report on priority areas for legal responses to combat the biodiversity crisis; and a summary of emerging environmental issues and their relationship with other legal fields. There are also side events on regional multilateralism with a focus on the Escazú Agreement, as well as the legal preparedness to implement a global plastics treaty. 

Related Sustainable Development Goals