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.

04 Dec 2023 09:57

Tackling the True Cost of Financing Adaptation

 

30 Nov 2023 10:12

New partnership: Learn to grow your restoration skills with Earthed

Poster with text on it.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has partnered with Earthed to help you grow your restoration skills and become a part of #GenerationRestoration.

Nature is in crisis. By 2030, at least one billion hectares of degraded land must be restored. Yet, there are various obstacles that are preventing people from taking part in ecosystem restoration, including lack of access to practical restoration skills, knowledge, and community. This partnership will help to address these obstacles.

Enjoy the learning journey!

06 Nov 2023 23:19

Nature for Life Hub 2023

Nature for Life Hub 2023 poster
Image: Learning for Nature

When: 7-9 November 2023

Where: Virtual sessions

Featuring nature champions, mobilizers, leaders, dreamers, and doers, the Nature for Life Hub 2023 will ignite global action for safeguarding nature and realizing the ambitious goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. To drive global biodiversity action, we need everyone on board.

Register for the event or follow the sessions online.

25 Oct 2023 16:54

What to expect at the next United Nations Environment Assembly

People at a conference table
Photo: UNEP

In February 2024, world leaders, scientists, and representatives from civil society and businesses from around the world will gather in Nairobi, Kenya, for the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), the world’s highest environmental decision-making body.

The event comes at a critical time for the Earth, which is facing a triple planetary crisis of climate changenature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Past assemblies have played a pivotal role in shaping global environmental policy, and UNEA-6 is set to follow suit.

Read this Q&A for more information.

13 Oct 2023 16:08

Science body of UN Biodiversity Convention meets in Nairobi to agree on scientific and technical measures to support the implementation of the global biodiversity targets

Elephant
Photo: UNEP

Governments from around the world are meeting this week in Nairobi from 15 to 19 October to recommend science-based measures to support the implementation of the ambitious Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted last December.

Read more

06 Oct 2023 12:32

Asia Pacific environment ministers commit to action to tackle shared planetary challenges

Trees on mountain range
Photo: UNEP/Ishan Kahapola Arachchi

Environment Ministers and senior officials from the Asia and the Pacific region pledged concerted action to tackle the crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution at the Fifth Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific, with the aim of restoring planetary balance and protecting people.

Representatives from 30 Member States in the Asia-Pacific region convened in-person and online for the conference, which took place from 4-5 October 2023 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Forum was co-organized by the Ministry of Environment of Sri Lanka and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Full press release

21 Sep 2023 12:43

On UNGA margins, world leaders bolster bedrock of international law

A turtle underwater
Photo: UNEP/Kyle Babb

In June 2023, UN Member States adopted a groundbreaking treaty aimed at safeguarding life in the high seas.

As negotiations continue for the 78th session of the General Assembly (UNGA 78), Heads of State, Foreign Ministers, and other top representatives are converging to endorse multilateral treaties which form the bedrock of international legal frameworks.

Full article

18 Sep 2023 15:31

A radical shift to working with nature

A screen display
Photo: UNEP/Miranda Grant

"We need an urgent and radical shift: from using nature, to working with nature. To creating nature-centred economies that understand the difference between price and value, between price and cost," said Inger Andersen, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director, at the Nature Driving Economic Transformation event in New York. The event was convened at the SDG Action Weekend of the SDG Summit at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Andersen laid out three key steps that are needed to live in harmony with nature:

Full speech here.

04 Sep 2023 17:02

IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment

IPBES Invasive Species Assessment

The severe global threat posed by invasive alien species is underappreciated, underestimated, and often unacknowledged. According to a major new report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), more than 37,000 alien species have been introduced by many human activities to regions and biomes around the world. This conservative estimate is now rising at unprecedented rates. More than 3,500 of these are harmful invasive alien species – seriously threatening nature, nature’s contributions to people and good quality of life. 

Approved on Saturday, 2 September, in Bonn, Germany, by representatives of the 143 member States of IPBES, the Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control finds that alongside dramatic changes to biodiversity and ecosystems, the global economic cost of invasive alien species exceeded $423 billion annually in 2019, with costs having at least quadrupled every decade since 1970.

Full article

25 Aug 2023 00:23

New global biodiversity fund launched in Vancouver

GBF

The Global Environment Facility’s Seventh Assembly in Canada has launched the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund to support nature restoration.

The fund will provide the resources needed to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to halt & reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

The new fund was ratified and launched at the GEF Assembly in Vancouver, where two countries announced initial contributions to start its capitalization. This included 200 million Canadian dollars from Canada and 10 million pounds from the United Kingdom.

Full article

Related Sustainable Development Goals