Letter from the Executive Director ...

• Main Author: United Nations Environmental Programme
• Format: Report
• Language: unknown
• Published: UNEP 2019 2019
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10171070; https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.10171070

2019 was a year when our past finally caught up with us and science provided an unambiguous call for urgent action. A year when the world witnessed devastating storms, ice sheets melting in the Arctic, giant wildfires and deadly floods. A year when we were warned that 1 million plant and animal species face extinction. A year when we were reminded that unless we act immediately to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions, we will alter life on Earth forever. Although this letter reflects on our work in 2019, as I write these words, the world is facing its biggest crisis since World War II. We stand in solidarity with the billions of people around the world that are suffering the impact of the global pandemic of COVID-19 and extend our heartfelt gratitude to the millions of healthcare professionals and members of the United Nations family, including the World Health Organization (WHO), who are working around the clock to protect us. In due course, this crisis will call for a stronger line of enquiry into ...