A new ‘Special Feature’ in People and Nature explores how global use, harvest and consumption of terrestrial wild meat can be both sustainable and ethical, outcomes which are key to deliver on the globally agreed nature conservation targets set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Researchers from UNEP-WCMC’s Trade, Development and Environment Hub, a…
World takes stock of progress and needs to accelerate action as crucial COP17 meeting gets going in Armenia. The city of Yerevan in Armenia has witnessed nearly 3,000 years of history. This month adds another chapter to that record, as the international community descends on the capital, seeking to strengthen urgent action to address the…
One-fifth of all terrestrial ecosystems are severely depleted, new analysis has revealed. The Ecosystem Integrity Index, published in the journal Ecological Indicators, is a ground-breaking approach that reveals how much of an ecosystem’s structure, species composition and functions are similar to its pristine or undisturbed state. The index is an indicator of overall ecosystem condition. Most measures of…
View more
A new roadmap on how to integrate nature into economic decision-making in Ecuador has now been launched as part of the Nature Transitions Support Programme (NTSP). The NTSP works with governments to develop nationally-led action plans aimed at shaping policy environments that enable sustainable and inclusive economic transformation, so that people, nature and the economy…
Historically we have lacked global data on protected area effectiveness – that is beginning to change The list of protected and conserved areas grows longer every month. Each time a new national park, nature reserve or marine protected area is designated it brings us closer to the global ambition to conserve 30 per cent of…
New database for navigating biodiversity data portals, platforms and tools and recommendations for future data systems. Historically, biodiversity data were stored on paper copies, available only to those who knew where to look. This is no longer the case. Over the past two decades, there has been a major surge in the number of online biodiversity portals, platforms and tools offering insights to biodiversity trends and supporting different stakeholders with determining what action they can take to protect…
View more
A new progress tracker for freshwater action has been launched by Systems Change Lab, a platform that monitors critical shifts needed to protect people and the planet, assessing progress toward international targets and identifying opportunities to deliver on systemic approaches to tackling the world’s sustainability challenges. Fresh water sustains life across Earth. Freshwater ecosystems support…
For centuries, Indigenous Peoples across the globe have been living in harmony with nature. To this day, they are custodians of much of the world’s remaining biodiversity, utilizing practices that have been passed down generations and woven into their relationships with the land. This International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, we recognize their role as stewards of biodiversity, and reflect on some of our work with Indigenous communities. It…
The UNEP-WCMC team at London Climate Action Week reflect on a sweltering event and the urgent priorities before this year’s global nature and climate meetings. A grim salience hung over this London Climate Action Week, Europe’s largest city-wide climate event. More than 45,000 attendees gathered in London to discuss a problem unfolding right before us…
View more