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<\/p>\nNairobi, Kenya, 13 March, 2019 \u2013 The most comprehensive and rigorous assessment on the state of the environment completed by the UN in the last five years was published today, warning that damage to the planet is so dire that people\u2019s health will be increasingly threatened unless urgent action is taken.<\/p>\n
The report, which was produced by 250 scientists and experts from more than 70 countries<\/span>, says that either we drastically scale up environmental protections, or\u00a0cities and regions in Asia, the Middle East and Africa <\/span>could see millions of premature deaths by mid-century. It also warns that pollutants in our freshwater systems will see anti-microbial resistance become a major cause of death by 2050 and endocrine disruptors impact male and female fertility, as well as child neurodevelopment.<\/p>\n But the report highlights the fact that the world has the science, technology and finance it needs to move towards a more sustainable development pathway, although sufficient support is still missing from the public, business and political leaders who are clinging to outdated production and development models.<\/p>\n The sixth Global Environmental Outlook<\/a> has been released while environmental ministers from around the world are in Nairobi to participate in the world\u2019s highest-level environmental forum. Negotiations at the Fourth UN Environment Assembly are expected to tackle critical issues such as stopping food waste, promoting the spread of electric mobility, and tackling the crisis of plastic pollution in our oceans, among many other pressing challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cThe science is clear. The health and prosperity of humanity<\/a> is directly tied with the state of our environment,\u201d said Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director of UN Environment. \u201cThis report is an outlook for humanity<\/a>. We are at a crossroads. Do we continue on our current path, which will lead to a bleak future for humankind, or do we pivot to a more sustainable development pathway? That is the choice our political leaders must make, now.\u201d<\/p>\n Innovative policy options<\/strong><\/p>\n The projection of a future healthy planet with healthy people is based on a new way of thinking where the \u2018grow now, clean up after\u2019 <\/span>model is changed to a near-zero-waste economy by 2050. According to the Outlook, green investment of 2 per cent of countries\u2019 GDP would deliver long-term growth as high as we presently projected but with fewer impacts from climate change, water scarcity and loss of ecosystems.<\/span><\/p>\n At present the world is not<\/strong> on track to meet the SDGs by 2030 or 2050. Urgent action is required now as any delay in climate action increases the cost of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, or reversing our progress and at some point, will make them impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n The report advises adopting less-meat intensive diets, and reducing food waste in both developed and developing countries, would reduce the need to increase food production by 50% to feed the projected 9-10 billion people on the planet in 2050. At present, 33 per cent of global edible food is wasted, and 56 per cent of waste happens in industrialized countries, the report states.<\/span><\/p>\n While urbanization is happening at an unprecedented level globally, the report says it can present an opportunity to increase citizens\u2019 well-being while decreasing their environmental footprint through improved governance, land-use planning and green infrastructure. Furthermore, strategic investment in rural areas would reduce pressure for people to migrate.<\/span><\/p>\n The report calls for action to curb the flow of the 8 million tons of plastic pollution going into oceans each year. While the issue has received increased attention in recent years, there is still no global agreement to tackle marine litter. <\/span><\/p>\n The scientists note advancements in collecting environmental statistics, particularly geospatial data, and highlight there is huge potential for advancing knowledge using big data and stronger data collection collaborations between public and private partners.<\/span><\/p>\n