UN chief: Making ‘Peace with Nature’ to make world equitable

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has said that making “Peace with Nature” is key to a thriving and equitable world.

Guterres was delivering his video remarks on Wednesday at the launch of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

“We must make peace with nature to deliver a prosperous and equitable world for all, leaving no one behind,” said the UN chief. “Welcome to the Ocean Decade. Together, let’s build a brave new ocean.”

He earlier said that recovering stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic and meeting the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) depends on stopping the environmental degradation.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the fragility and vulnerability of our societies,” said the secretary-general. “To recover stronger and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we must stop degrading the environment we depend on.”

Talking about the threats to the ocean because of human activity, the UN boss said that the sea may have more plastic than fish by 2050.

“And all the world’s tropical coral reefs could be dead by the end of the century if we don’t act now,” Guterres added. “Protecting and sustainably managing the ocean is essential for food, livelihoods and mitigating climate disruption and related disasters.”

The UN secretary-general stated that over 80% of the ocean is unexplored and unmapped and yet the amount of funding that ocean science receives is very small.

He added, “To restore the marine environment, we need knowledge — an ocean science revolution.”

Towards the end of his remarks, the UN head said it is a defining challenge to restore the ability of the ocean to support humanity and to manage the climate.

“It will influence the outcome of our efforts to stem biodiversity loss, implement the Paris Agreement [on climate change] and meet the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals,” he remarked.