Bogotá, 05 June 2020 – As nations of the world strive to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s World Environment Day brings into sharp focus the importance of fundamentally shifting humanity’s relationship with nature to preserve our societies and prevent future pandemics.

Celebrated annually on 5 June, World Environment Day is the United Nations’ biggest event advocating for environmental action and the need to protect our planet. Since it was first observed in 1974, the event has grown to become a global platform for public outreach on the environment in over 100 countries.

This year – despite the ongoing pandemic that has devastated the global community – Colombia and Germany co-hosted the main World Environment Day celebrations, streamed live online from Bogotá. Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez and Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), led global calls to declare it “Time #ForNature,” a call to action to combat the accelerating species loss and degradation of the natural world.

“To care for humanity, we must care for nature. As we work to build back better, let’s put nature where it belongs - at the heart of our decision making,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “On World Environment Day and every day, it’s time for nature.”

“This is a moment for a deep reflection on nature, on climate change, on how we should behave, on what the ethics of our society should be, to protect species and ecosystems,” said President Duque. Colombia, one of six megadiverse countries in the Latin American region, aims to plant 180 million trees by August 2022.

With our ever-increasing demands, humans have pushed nature beyond its limits. In the last 50 years, the human population has doubled; the global economy and trade have grown nearly fourfold and tenfold, respectively. The emergence of COVID-19 has underscored the fact that, when we destroy biodiversity, we destroy the very system that supports human life. By upsetting the delicate balance of nature, we have created conditions for pathogens–including coronaviruses–to spread.

“Today, on World Environment Day, I call on everyone to work together to protect the nature that supports us all. The stronger our planet’s life support systems are, the better human health and wealth will be,” UNEP’s Executive Director said.

Around half the world’s GDP depends on nature. Our oceans and forests sustain billions of people and provide green jobs – 86 million green jobs from forests alone. Four billion people rely primarily on natural medicines. Nature-based solutions – such as afforestation and using greenery to cool our cities and buildings – can provide around one-third of the emissions reductions needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

In spite of logistical limitations as a result of the pandemic, governments, the private sector, civil society and individuals across the globe today joined in World Environment Day events, announcements and calls to acknowledge the importance of nature to our health, our economies and our societies.

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