The world needs a new approach to environmental crises that threaten human and planetary health, with policies to jointly combat climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution, a United Nations report released on Tuesday said.
The authors of the United Nations Environment Programme’s quadrennial Global Environment Outlook say the problems are inextricably linked and require solutions, including increased spending and financial incentives to transition away from fossil fuels, encourage sustainable agricultural practices, curb pollution and limit waste.
“You can’t think about climate change without thinking about biodiversity, land degradation and pollution,” said Bob Watson, one of the lead authors and a former NASA and British climate scientist. “Biodiversity loss cannot be thought of without considering the effects of climate change and pollution.”
Watson said they are “all damaging to our economy,” worsening health and poverty, and threatening food and water security and even national security.
Nearly 300 scientists from 83 countries contributed to this year’s report, billed as the most comprehensive global environmental assessment ever, which was released on the sidelines of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.
Experts warn that the world is approaching tipping points from climate change, species and land loss, and other hazards. But they say efforts to address them, mostly through individual agreements, have not yet made enough progress.
Instead, they advocate an approach that involves all sectors of government, the financial sector, industry and citizens, as well as a circular economy that recognizes limited natural resources.
“What we’re saying is that we can become more sustainable, but it will take unprecedented changes to transform these systems,” Watson said. “It has to be done quickly now because we are running out of time.”
global tipping point
The report states that if the world continues on its current path, the future will be dire.
Emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, mainly from burning fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil, hit new highs in 2024 despite decades of negotiations between countries to curb emissions.
Ten years ago, nearly 200 countries signed the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit future warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times to avoid or mitigate the most catastrophic effects of climate change. But Watson said that on current trends, the climate could warm by 2.4 degrees Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100.
Scientists say climate change is leading to more extreme weather, including more intense storms, droughts, heat and wildfires.
More importantly, climate change is a threat multiplier, meaning it will make problems such as land degradation, deforestation and biodiversity loss worse, said Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University and chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy who was not involved in the report.
“If we don’t solve climate change, we won’t solve other problems,” Hayhoe said.
Other challenges include: up to 40% of the world’s land area is degraded; more than 1 million animal and plant species face extinction; and pollution kills an estimated 9 million people every year.
Scientists acknowledge that a comprehensive approach is costly, but the cost is far less than the harm that other approaches might cause.
The report states that to achieve the 2050 net-zero emissions target and restore biodiversity, the world will need an investment of approximately US$8 trillion per year. But starting in 2050, economic benefits will outweigh expenditures, rising to $20 trillion per year by 2070 and $100 trillion per year thereafter.
Watson said countries must also view gross domestic product as a barometer of economic health, as it cannot measure whether growth is sustainable or recognize its potential harm.
Environmental concerns aren’t the only interconnected issues, Watson said. Governments, nonprofits, industry and the financial sector must also ensure incentives and funding are provided for renewable energy and sustainable agricultural practices, he said.
University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann, who was not involved in the report, welcomed its emphasis on addressing government and social issues.
“We have to do what is right, not what seems politically expedient,” Mann said. “The stakes are too high.”
International cooperation falters
Scientists say that despite the report’s urgent call for action, international cooperation is by no means guaranteed, especially with U.S. President Donald Trump refusing to participate in many discussions.
Trump, who pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement, called climate change a hoax. He advocates the use of fossil fuels, the elimination of renewable energy permits and the abandonment of vehicle fuel efficiency standards.
“International action and agreement are becoming increasingly difficult,” Watson said, noting that this year’s U.N. climate conference in Brazil failed to “move in the direction we need” to make stronger commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other issues.
Negotiations for a treaty to tackle plastic pollution in Geneva this summer failed to reach an agreement, although a United Nations conference earlier this year secured a commitment to fund the protection of global biodiversity.
Watson said the United States was not present at the intergovernmental meeting in Nairobi but participated in discussions on the final day and “said they disagreed with anything in the report.”
“Some countries may say, the United States is unwilling to take action, why should we take action?” Watson said.
Still, he believes some countries will move forward while others, including the United States, may fall behind.
Hayhoe, a scientist at Texas Tech University, said she’s confident change will happen because the stakes are so high.
“This is not about saving the Earth. The Earth will still be orbiting the sun long after we are gone,” Hayhoe said. “The question is, will there be a healthy, prosperous human society on that planet? The answer to that question is very much up in the air right now.”
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