The health of our planet and humanity’s future are inseparable. Around half of global GDP depends on nature, but increased human and economic activity is putting natural ecosystems under immense pressure. This puts us in danger too. One million plant and animal species face extinction – some within decades. The COVID-19 pandemic, devastating storms, wildfires and mass floods experienced over the past year signal the urgency of the ongoing crisis. Environmental challenges like climate change or biodiversity loss are too big
for any one country or entity to tackle alone. We need a multilateral approach to address these threats.
Everything UNEP does is geared towards creating a healthy natural world that will support human health, peace and prosperity for generations to come. During 2018-2019, we advocated for action, promoted environmental best practices, and brought together governments, civil society and businesses.
We scaled up the use of tools and services, and collaborated with partner organizations to extend our reach and share scalable solutions.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has sought to harness this sense of urgency to tackle the climate emergency, biodiversity loss, pollution, resource overexploitation and related environmental challenges. Our programme of work 2018-2019 – the first biennium of the medium-term strategy for 2018-2021 – was geared towards working with member states to achieve our central vision of living healthily on a healthy planet by 2030. With just 10 years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
there is an urgent need to step up action to end extreme poverty, win the race against climate change and conquer injustice and gender inequality. While the COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges, it also underlines the vital importance of this work.