<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>The UN Secretary General has urged for protecting the planet's essential ecosystems from 'biodiversity decimation,' worsening climate impacts, and widespread pollution.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a message marking the World Environment Day, António Guterres emphasized that countries “must deliver” on all their commitments to restore degraded ecosystems and land, and on Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework, the global agreement to protect biodiversity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“They must use their new national climate action plans to set out how they will halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. And we must drastically scale-up finance to support developing countries to adapt to violent weather, protect nature, and support sustainable development.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Celebrated by millions around the world, World Environment Day has been held annually since 1973 and has grown to be largest global platform for environmental outreach ever.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This year, it is being commemorated under the overarching theme “land restoration, desertification and drought resilience”.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The UN chief also highlighted that prompt and effective action makes economic sense.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Every dollar invested in ecosystem restoration creates up to thirty dollars in economic benefits,” he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘It’s time to break free’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Failure to curb runaway pollution, climate chaos and biodiversity destruction are clear for all to see. Healthy, fertile lands are transforming into deserts, thriving ecosystems into dead zones and rising carbon dioxide emissions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“That means crops failing, water sources vanishing, economies weakened, and communities endangered – with the poorest hit hardest … It is time to break free,” the UN chief said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We are Generation Restoration. Together, let us build a sustainable future for land, and for humanity,” he added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>