By Kidega Livingstone
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged countries around the world to deliver on their commitments to restore degraded ecosystems and land.
Guterres also calls for full implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
“Humanity depends on land, yet a toxic cocktail of pollution, climate chaos, and biodiversity decimation is turning healthy lands into deserts and thriving ecosystems into dead zones,” Guterres said in a statement on World Environment Day.
“They are annihilating forests and grasslands and sapping the strength of land to support ecosystems, agriculture, and communities.”
The Secretary-General warned that this environmental degradation is leading to crop failures, disappearing water sources, weakened economies, and endangered communities, with the poorest being hit the hardest.
He stressed that sustainable development is suffering as a result.
“We are trapped in a deadly cycle; land use is responsible for eleven percent of the carbon dioxide emissions heating our planet. It’s time to break free,” Guterres said.
The UN chief emphasized that inaction is too costly, but swift and effective action can make economic sense.
He cited studies showing that every dollar invested in ecosystem restoration creates up to thirty dollars in economic benefits.
“They must use their new national climate action plans to set out how they will halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. And we must drastically scale up finance to support developing countries to adapt to violent weather, protect nature, and support sustainable development,” Guterres said.
Guterres called on the global community to come together as “Generation Restoration” and build a sustainable future for land and for humanity.
“Together, let’s build a sustainable future for land and for humanity.”