To mark World Soil Day – a campaign dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of healthy soil and sustainable management – the UNEP-WCMC Policy and Nature-based Solutions teams explore our involvement in a project aiming to change how soil health is monitored across Europe. Once formally adopted, the EU Nature Restoration Law will commit…
Head of Nature-based Solutions at UNEP-WCMC Najma Mohamed discusses recent intergovernmental consultations on NbS and what they mean for the climate agenda going into COP28 Year after year, the opportunity to avert the devastating impacts of human-induced climate crisis is fading out of sight. Commitments and actions to avert a climate emergency remain wholly insufficient:…
The significant, long-lasting negative impacts that unsustainable fishing can have on marine ecosystems and the societies that depend on them are well-documented. Recognising this, multiple national, regional and international targets and regulations have been agreed to drive the transition to sustainable, equitable fisheries that are resilient to climate change. For example, in 2015, countries committed…
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The UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) has today released our latest Impact Report showcasing the Centre’s work in 2022-2023. The report celebrates UNEP-WCMC’s recent achievements with partners in tackling the global nature crisis. Key among these is the critical role of our policy and technical experts in supporting the agreement of the most…
In December 2022, countries pledged under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and related package of decisions to put nature on a path to recovery by 2030. Countries are now working hard to develop and update their national targets and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) in line with the GBF, in recognition of…
UNEP-WCMC Nature Economy Programme Officer Dr Jacob Bedford highlights the value of private sector organisations taking a holistic interest in ecosystem health, and the latest tools to guide action. Despite the private sector’s role across a range of drivers of nature loss – from land use change to contributing to soil and water pollution…
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Following months punctuated by drought, record-breaking heat and wildfires, Caroline King-Okumu, UNEP-WCMC’s Deputy Head of Nature-based Solutions, outlines recent breakthroughs achieved at the international level and the key opportunities where progress can be made between now and the next global COP for combatting drought and desertification in 2024. Rebalancing our relationship with nature is essential…
The world’s cities face the intense, overlapping challenges of environmental and demographic change, which are expected to grow over the coming decades. It is estimated that by 2050, 70 per cent of us will live in cities, and that 75 per cent of the infrastructure that will exist to meet the needs of these growing…
Scientists at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) have spearheaded new research identifying 32 global ‘darkspots’ where plant species are yet to be scientifically named, described and mapped. There is a critical need to expand scientific knowledge of the world’s plants and fungi to help better understand the composition of ecosystems, their…
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