Climate change isn’t the only major crisis facing the world. We’re in the middle of a mass extinction, and we’re missing all of our biodiversity targets. October 2021 was an important month for crisis meetings. There was the big one, COP26, where decisionmakers descended on Glasgow to spend two frenetic
In November, three organizations, Pollinis, Le Basic and Terre Solidaire jointly published a shocking study about the hidden socio-economical costs of pesticides, where we learn that the European Union is one of the biggest consumer of pesticides in the world. This publication adds to the long list of recent controversies
Climate talks at the COP26 conference included attention on indigenous groups. “Indigenous peoples are at the center because they are the ones that are walking the walk,” said Yon Fernández de Larrinoa, head of the Indigenous Peoples’ unit at the UN. “They are living in communion and harmony with the environment, and that’s
Following pandemic-driven school closures, five UN agencies threw their strong support behind an international coalition to improve the nutrition, health and education of school-age children around the world. In a joint declaration on Tuesday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN
Global tourism has reaffirmed its commitment to making the sector a pillar of inclusive growth. At the official World Tourism Day 2021 celebrations in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, political and business leaders united behind a common message of solidarity and determination to ‘leave nobody behind’ as tourism restarts and grows back.
UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme today added 20 new sites, in 21 countries to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which now numbers 727 biosphere reserves in 131 countries, including 22 transboundary sites. UNESCO Biosphere reserves now cover more than 5% of the Earth’s landmass, in which biodiversity
In Italy stable meadows are disappearing through the abandonment of the countryside and soil consumption. Across Europe they occupy a surface area as large as France, and the most flourishing meadows are found in Ireland, Spain and Portugal. They’re fundamental for maintaining biodiversity, be it vegetal or animal, and for
The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today called for urgent assistance to help save Afghanistan’s next wheat harvest, keep life-sustaining farm animals alive, and avoid a deterioration of the country’s already severe humanitarian crises. FAO is seeking $36 million to speed
France will push for “an accelerated phase-out of pesticides” at the EU level when it takes on the rotating EU Council Presidency in January 2022, President Emmanuel Macron told the World Conservation Congress which opened in Marseille this week. During the opening ceremony of the World Conservation Congress, Macron made
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Alliance of Bioversity International and The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) released a new study identifying hundreds of diverse plant and animal species that Indigenous Peoples around the world depend on and care for to generate food sustainably
In celebration of the 2021 UN International Year of Creative Economy, UNESCO is pleased to launch a call for nomination to the UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy. Created in 2020, the 50,000 USD Prize is awarded on a biennial basis to outstanding examples of actions to
Slovenia is officially open to tourists. As one of the first countries in the world to have earned the WTTC Safe Travels Stamp, it’s also created GREEN&SAFE designation to help travelers choose the safest accommodations, tours and more. The GREEN&SAFE label is Slovenia’s commitment to responsible, safe and green tourism and
The Southern Aegean probably provides more images of Greece to the world than any place besides the Acropolis. The National Herald, in a wide-ranging conversation with George Chatzimarkos, Governor of South Aegean Region, began by asking what accounts for the world’s fascination with those little islands. George Chatzimarkos: There is
Vulnerable communities disproportionately bear the brunt of environmental degradation caused by plastics pollution, according to new UN Environment Programme report. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the non-governmental organisation Azul have released a new report highlighting how plastic pollution disproportionately affects marginalised communities and communities living in close proximity to
The European Tourism Manifesto alliance of more than 60 travel and tourism organisations warmly welcomes the adoption of the “EU Digital COVID Certificate” Regulation. The Alliance calls on Member States to ensure swift implementation before July to support the restart of the sector in time for the vital summer season,
The main purpose of World Bee Day, which is celebrated on 20 May, is to raise awareness about the significance of the bees and other pollinators for humanity. On 20 December 2017, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) declared 20 May World Bee Day. The initiative came from Slovenia.
