Climate & Nature Crisis: UN Calls for Global Action

A new United Nations report, compiled by nearly 300 scientists from 83 countries, warns that the world faces interconnected environmental crises – including climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution – that require a comprehensive and drastically altered approach.

Global Environment Outlook

The U.N. Environment Programme’s Global Environment Outlook report calls for increased spending and financial incentives to transition away from fossil fuels, encourage sustainable agricultural practices, curb pollution, and limit waste. The report was produced by the U.N. Environment Assembly, which the U.S. government did not attend.

“You can’t think of climate change without thinking of biodiversity, land degradation and pollution,” said Bob Watson, one of the lead authors and a former top NASA and British climate scientist. “You can’t think of biodiversity loss without thinking about the implications of climate change and pollution.”

These issues are “all undermining our economy,” worsening health and poverty, and threatening food and water security and even national security, Watson said. Experts warn the world is nearing a tipping point on climate change, species loss, and land degradation, but current efforts have been insufficient.

The report advocates for an approach that involves all areas of government, the financial sector, industry, and citizens, alongside a circular economy that recognizes the limited nature of natural resources. “What we’re saying is we can become much more sustainable, but it will take unprecedented change to transform these systems,” Watson said. “It has to be done rapidly now because we’re running out of time.”

The Gibson Power Plant in Princeton, Indiana. Photo by Joshua A. Bickel/AP Photo

Emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases reached a new high in 2024, despite decades of negotiations to curb them. Ten years ago, almost 200 nations signed the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times. However, on the current trajectory, the climate could warm by 2.4 degrees Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100, Watson said.

Climate change is contributing to more intense storms, drought, heat, and wildfires. It also acts as a “threat multiplier,” exacerbating land degradation, deforestation, and biodiversity loss, according to Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University and chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy.

“If we don’t fix climate change, we’re not going to be able to fix these other issues too,” Hayhoe said. Up to 40% of global land area is degraded, and pollution contributes to an estimated 9 million deaths annually.

Scientists acknowledge that a comprehensive approach would be expensive, but argue it would cost far less than the potential harms of inaction. The report estimates that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and restoring biodiversity would require about $8 trillion in global investment each year, but economic benefits would surpass spending starting in 2050, growing to $20 trillion annually by 2070 and $100 trillion thereafter.

The report also suggests nations should move beyond gross domestic product as a measure of economic health, as it doesn’t account for sustainability or potential harms. University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann, who was not involved in the report, welcomed its emphasis on cross-governmental and societal action, stating, “We must do what is right, rather than what seems politically expedient. The stakes are simply too great.”

International cooperation falters

Despite the report’s urgent call, international cooperation is uncertain, particularly with U.S. President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from many discussions and promotion of fossil fuels. Trump has called climate change a hoax and canceled permits for renewable energy.

“International action and agreements are becoming harder and harder,” Watson said, noting that this year’s U.N. climate conference in Brazil failed to produce stronger commitments. Talks on a treaty to address plastic pollution also ended without an agreement. The U.S. did not attend the intergovernmental meeting in Nairobi, but later stated disagreement with the report’s findings.

“Some countries might say if the U.S. is not willing to act, why should we act?” Watson said. However, he believes some countries will proceed regardless. Hayhoe expressed confidence that changes will occur as the stakes become too high, stating, “It is not about saving the planet. The planet will be orbiting the sun long after we’re gone. The question is, will there be a healthy, thriving human society on that planet? And the answer to that question is very much up for grabs at this point.”