The United Nations delivered a stark message on Tuesday, asserting that none of the ambitious goals set by countries a decade ago to safeguard nature and preserve the Earth’s biodiversity have been achieved.

According to a report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) this month, the impact of human activity on the natural world has been devastating, resulting in the disappearance of nearly 70 percent of wildlife, birds, and fish since 1970.

In 2010, the 190 member countries of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) committed to a comprehensive rescue plan aimed at reversing ecological decline by 2020. This plan included 20 targets, ranging from phasing out fossil fuel subsidies to curtailing habitat loss and protecting fish populations. However, the United Nations’ latest Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) report, released Tuesday, states that none of these targets will be met.

Anne Larigauderie, the executive secretary of the UN Panel on Biodiversity (IPBES), highlighted the alarming trend, stating, ‘We are currently in the process of systematically eradicating all non-human organisms.’ The global health crisis, compounded by disruptions such as the cancellation of this year’s biodiversity summit and the postponement of COP15 negotiations and the IUCN’s global congress to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, has intensified the urgency for action.

Larigauderie emphasized that the COVID-19 crisis should serve as a wake-up call for world leaders, urging a collective recognition that this crisis is interconnected with discussions at the 15th UN Climate Change Conference.

The report highlights some progress made over the past decade, including a decrease in the rate of deforestation and an increase in terrestrial and marine protected areas. However, it criticizes countries for continuing fossil fuel subsidies, which are estimated at around $500 billion annually.

David Cooper, the lead author of the GBO report, pointed out the challenges posed by certain groups with a ‘vested interest’ in obstructing governmental efforts to reduce support for polluting industries. Meanwhile, Andy Purvis from the Natural History Museum in the UK expressed deep concern, emphasizing that the world has failed to achieve any of the 20 nature conservation targets.

He stated, ‘We must recognize that we are in a planetary emergency, where species face extinction, ecosystems suffer severe damage, and human societies teeter on the brink of collapse.’

The latest revelation from the United Nations, confirming the failure to meet any of the ambitious biodiversity goals set by nations a decade ago, casts a sobering shadow on our planet’s ecological future. The World Wide Fund for Nature’s report reveals the catastrophic toll of human impact, with nearly 70 percent of wildlife, birds, and fish having vanished since 1970.

Despite some positive strides, such as reduced deforestation rates and expanded protected areas, the Global Biodiversity Outlook report emphasizes the alarming continuation of fossil fuel subsidies, estimated at a staggering $500 billion annually. David Cooper, the lead author of the report, highlights the challenges posed by groups with a ‘vested interest’ in thwarting governmental efforts to withdraw support for environmentally harmful industries.

As the world grapples with the fallout from consecutive pandemic-induced disruptions, the urgency for coordinated global action intensifies, underscoring the interconnectedness of health, biodiversity, and climate discussions.

The report serves as a poignant reminder that the planetary emergency requires immediate and collective attention to prevent irreversible damage to ecosystems and societies that are on the brink of collapse.