New York (USA) May 22: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for sustainable lifestyle choices, sustainable production and consumption in order to better protect the planet.
"Everybody has a part to play. Sustainable lifestyle choices are the key. Sustainable production and consumption is the answer. This is the overarching theme of this year's Biodiversity Day," the UN chief told the COP15: Road to Kunming, Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth, a virtual webinar on biodiversity organized by the permanent mission of China to the United Nations, the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
COP15 refers to the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
May 22 is the International Day for Biological Diversity. In 2021, the theme is: "We are part of the solution."
"The choice to live sustainably must be made available to everyone, everywhere," the secretary-general noted.
Noting that "COVID-19 has reminded us of the intimate relationship between people and nature," the top UN official said that land-use change and encroachment on wild habitats is the primary path for emerging infectious diseases, such as Ebola and COVID-19.
"Three-quarters of new and emerging human infectious diseases are zoonotic," he said. "Tackling the current COVID-19 crisis provides an opportunity to recover better."
"This is a landmark year for restoring balance with nature, tackling the climate emergency and getting ahead of the pollution crisis," said the secretary-general.
"Our efforts to protect biodiversity will be key," he said. "Our solutions to the current crisis must expand opportunity, reduce stark inequalities and respect planetary boundaries."
Guterres said that this year, governments will meet in Kunming, China, to finalize an ambitious new global framework for biodiversity "that can protect nature, restore ecosystems and reset our relationship with the planet."
"It is essential that they succeed. The rewards will be tremendous," he said.
"Many solutions already exist to protect our planet's genetic diversity on land and at sea. But we must employ them," said the UN chief.
"We will all be losers if we don't achieve peace with the planet," he noted.
Source: Xinhua
