Earth Day: Let’s make peace with nature, protect our common home, says UN

Antonio Guterres, United Nations secretary-general, says everyone needs to raise their voices to demand that leaders make peace with nature.

In a video message to commemorate Earth Day on Saturday, he said everyone needs to do their part in protecting the planet.

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 of every year. The day has been set aside by the UN to raise awareness on the need to protect nature and shift to a more sustainable economy.

Guterres, in his message, said humanity is waging a relentless war on nature and these actions are causing biodiversity to collapse.

“I urge people everywhere to raise your voices in your schools, workplaces and faith communities and on social media platforms and demand leaders make peace with nature,” he said.

He added that scaled-up investments in adaptation and resilience as well as learning from the stewardship of indigenous peoples can lead to workable solutions.

“On International Mother Earth Day, we reflect on humanity’s most important relationship – our relationship with the natural world.

“Our actions are laying waste to forests, jungles, farmland, wetlands, oceans, coral reefs, rivers, seas and lakes. Biodiversity is collapsing as 1 million species teeter on the brink of extinction.

“We must turn these relentless and senseless wars on nature. We have the tools, the knowledge and the solutions, but we must pick up the pace. We need accelerated climate action with deeper faster emission cuts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“Let’s get to work to implement the historic UN biodiversity agreement, to ensure that 30 percent of diverse land and water is protected by 2030. At every step, governments must lead the way. But corporations, institutions and civil society also have a vital role.

“Let us all do our part to protect our common home for the sake of people and planet right now and for the generations to come.”