World Environment Day

5 June 2020: World Environment Day aims to inspire every one of us worldwide, to make our voices heard – to urge our governments to deliver on their commitments to safeguard nature, end pollution and ensure that environmental laws are upheld. This year’s theme is biodiversity – a call to action to combat the accelerating species loss and degradation of the natural world.

2020 was expected to be a ‘Super Year for Nature,’ with several global meetings and negotiations leading to CBD COP15 that would agree on a ‘Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework’ planned. But most of these negotiations have been postponed due to COVID-19 which is of great concern as we are losing critical time to address the biodiversity crisis.

On this World Environment Day, all eyes are on the COVID-19 pandemic – the biggest test the world has faced since the Second World War.

COVID-19 shows that the health of people and the planet are one and the same. Human activity has altered virtually every corner of Earth, bringing humans into contact with new vectors: 75% of all emerging infectious diseases in humans cross from animals. The long-term threats of climate change and ecosystem and biodiversity loss also spring from the destruction of nature.

The idea that a thriving natural world is essential to human health, societies and economies has always been central to UN’s work. Today, as the world confronts COVID-19 pandemic, the UN is striving to provide support to countries as they reduce the risks of future pandemics by restoring lost ecosystems and biodiversity, fighting climate change and reducing pollution. Stronger science, policies that back a healthier planet and more green investments will be required. Stronger partnerships to address country needs as they advance the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and other crucial agreements will be crucial. A just transition to new economic models that protect the world’s poor and vulnerable – for it is these people who suffer the most from pandemics and environmental degradation – is inevitable. We must work together to save lives, ease suffering and lessen the shattering economic and social consequences.

We must act decisively to protect our planet from both the coronavirus and the existential threat of climate disruption.

The current crisis is an unprecedented wake-up call.

We need to turn the recovery into a real opportunity to do things right for the future.

World Environment Day creates awareness about the building blocks of Nature and Biodiversity, drive initiatives big and small, give youth a collaborative platform, and demand bold action for people and nature.

A call to action to combat the accelerating species loss and degradation of the natural world is the challenge we face. One million plant and animal species risk extinction largely due to human activities. Yyoung people are the future and the decision made now will determine the kind of world you will inherit.

Increasingly, you are making your voices heard with real impact. Young people have a role to play in preventing Biodiversity loss and preserving Nature for our future. If we are to change the course of distruaction, we must first LEARN about what we can do, SHARE the knowledge with our communities and when it is safe to do so, ACT on the things we can change.

A healthy planet is critical to our ability to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and to prevent future zoonotic diseases, which are passed between humans and animals. The deterioration of ecosystems, and the biodiversity within them – from habitat loss and modification, agricultural development, climate change, pollution, and over-exploitation of species – is increasing the risk of zoonotic disease pandemics.



Allow me to highlight 5 key areas of action that the UN has committed to:-

1. Improved science and policy options to better understand and respond to zoonotic threats – Designing a risk and response programme to improve countries’ ability to reduce zoonotic threats through approaches that take impacts on nature into consideration. This includes providing new science-based policy options, a new global mapping of risks from the unregulated wildlife trade, habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss, and expanded demand-driven policy responses for nations.

2. Investment in nature for improved human health, sustainable socio-economic recovery, poverty reduction and livelihood recovery – Promoting expanded opportunities for valuing and investing in nature as part of the response to the COVID-19 crisis.

3. Science, technical support and advocacy to ensure progress on environmental issues through global processes – Supporting nations to deliver stronger commitments under the Paris Agreement, agree on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and adopt the Post-2020 Chemicals and Waste Management Framework. Supporting nations to deliver on commitments made to these and other processes.

4. Raising awareness of the links between nature, health and sustainable living – Raising public awareness of environment and human health links, creating public support for green growth opportunities within economic recovery, and advocating sustainable living and smart choices through communication campaigns and educational platforms.

5. Continued learning – With over 1 billion students no longer able to attend school, UNEP in collaboration with UNICEF has been working with leaders in environmental education to create “Earth School,” an innovative set of lessons hosted on TED-Ed. UNEP will also collaborate with other UN agencies, educators and governments to integrate environmental themes across curricula to help the world “learn back better”.

In COVID-19, the planet has delivered its strongest warning to date that humanity must change. Shutting down economies/lockdown is a short-term response to this warning. It cannot endure. Only by building functioning economies that work with nature, not against it, can the world’s nations thrive. This World Environment Day, when many are isolated at home, let us reflect on what got us here. As countries start to plan ways to build back better, getting nature at the heart of all decision making for people and the planet must be our top priority.

On this World Environment Day 2020, please join me in demanding a healthy and resilient future for people and planet alike.

Thank you.