If the world is to meet the climate change, biodiversity, and land degradation targets, it needs to close a USD 4.1 trillion financing gap in nature by 2050. The current investments in Nature-based solutions amount to USD 133 billion – about 0.10 per cent of global GDP, most of which comes from public sources.

The Rangelands Atlas has been developed to document and raise awareness on the enormous environmental, economic and social value of rangelands as well as their different ecosystems. It highlights many of the changes taking place in rangelands due to climate change, land use and conversion trends, investments and other changes.

Nature underpins all economic activities and human well-being. It is the world’s most important asset. Yet humanity is destroying biodiversity at an unprecedented rate, posing significant but often overlooked risks to the economy, the financial sector and the well-being of current and future generations.

A drastic drop in caribou and shorebird populations is a mirrored image of the dire modifications unfolding on the Arctic tundra, based on a new report from the Arctic Council. The terrestrial Arctic spans roughly 2.7m sq miles (7m sq km), marked by excessive chilly, drought, sturdy winds and seasonal darkness.

To the world’s efforts to restore and regenerate nature, they add the single-biggest missing piece: Natural Resource Management.

The UNEP report is the final “report card” on the goal of protecting at least 17 per cent of land and inland waters, and 10 per cent of the marine environment, by 2020. Progress currently stands at 16.6 per cent on the first target, while the marine target stands at 7.74 per cent. One-third of key biodiversity areas– whether on land, inland waters or the ocean –are not protected at all.

New global research, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and commissioned by WWF, shows that public interest in, and concern for nature has risen markedly (16%) in the past five years (2016-2020) and continues to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asian cities face the greatest risk from environmental issues including air pollution and natural disasters, according to a report by research firm Verisk Maplecroft. Of the 100 most vulnerable cities, 99 are in Asia, according to the report.

This guidance highlights the key issues, benchmarks, and standards in four main areas of environmental management in mining—water, biodiversity, waste management, and emergency preparedness and response—and governments' role in ensuring that each is managed in support of sustainable development.

The scientific and policy debate on the potential benefits and risks of biotechnologies remains polarized.