UN Convention on Biodiversity, Montreal
11-month-old Sumatran orangutans. (c) Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark, natgeophotoark.org
Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 report outlines 8 major transitions needed to slow, then halt nature’s accelerating decline
Final report card on Aichi Biodiversity Targets, set in 2010: 6 of world’s 20 goals “partially achieved” by 2020 deadline.
Towards a landmark new global post-2020 biodiversity framework: GBO-5 synthesizes scientific basis for urgent action.
Bright spots include: extinctions prevented by conservation, more land and oceans protected, fish stocks bounce back in well-managed fisheries.
Montreal — Despite encouraging progress in several areas, the natural world is suffering badly and getting worse. Eight transformative changes are, therefore, urgently needed to ensure human wellbeing and save the planet, the UN warns in a major report.
The report comes as the COVID-19 pandemic challenges people to rethink their relationship with nature, and to consider the profound consequences to their own wellbeing and survival that can result from continued biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems.
The Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 (GBO-5), published by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), offers an authoritative overview of the state of nature. It is a final report card on progress against the 20 global biodiversity targets agreed in 2010 with a 2020 deadline, and offers lessons learned and best practices for getting on track.
“This flagship report underlines that ‘humanity stands at a crossroads with regard to the legacy we wish to leave to future generations,'” said CBD Executive Secretary, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema.
“Many good things are happening around the world and these should be celebrated and encouraged. Nevertheless, the rate of biodiversity loss is unprecedented in human history and pressures are intensifying. Earth’s living systems as a whole are being compromised. And the more humanity exploits nature in unsustainable ways and undermines its contributions to people, the more we undermine our own well-being, security and prosperity.”
News release in full, click here
GBO5 media coverage, summary presentation, click here
Mainstream media coverage summary spreadsheet (here)
Total # of hits at online news sites: 1,235
Different news sites that ran one or more stories: 1,196
Languages: 21
Countries: 65
Potential impressions (online only, does not include TV, radio, newspaper print editions): 3.36 billion
* Newswires
The Associated Press, via Washington Post, United States (76,467,058), World isn’t meeting biodiversity goals, UN report finds, click here; Spanish, Fracasa intento de salvar la biodiversidad mundial, click here
Reuters, As world falls behind on U.N. wildlife targets, bright spots offer hope, click here; (2nd story), U.N. says global goals to protect nature need women to succeed, click here
Agence France Presse, France
- English: World missing all targets to save nature, UN warns, click here
- Portuguese: Estados fracassaram em preservar biodiversidade na década passada, diz ONU, click here
- French: Constat d’échec de l’ONU pour la protection de la biodiversité, click here
- German: Staaten verfehlen weltweite Artenschutz-Ziele laut UNO massiv, click here
- Dutch: VN: wereld mist alle doelstellingen om de natuur te redden, click here
- Norwegian: FN slår alarm om manglande bevaring av naturmangfaldet på jorda, click here
Agencia EFE, via Eldiario, Spain (12,549,603), El tiempo se agota para evitar la sexta extición masiva del planeta, click here
Kyodo news, 生物保全「愛知目標」達成できず 世界で森林減少、種の絶滅が進行, click here
Jiji, Japan, 「愛知目標」達成なし 生物多様性の国際枠組み―国連, click here
UK Press Association, via Daily Mail, United Kingdom (26,035,604), Countries failing to halt `unprecedented´ losses to nature, UN warns, click here
Australian Associated Press, Australia, Extinction warning in biodiversity report, click here
Xinhua, China, 联合国报告：生物多样性持续丧失增加疾病传播风险 (UN report: Continued loss of biodiversity increases the risk of disease transmission), click here;(English), UNEP calls for urgent action to conserve, restore biodiversity, click hereIndo Asian News Service (IANS), India, Work must start now’, UN report lists 8 important changes to save the planet, click here
United Press International, United States (2,395,682), U.N. report: Global efforts failed to meet biodiversity goals in 2010s, click here
Yonhap News, Korea (9,727,402), 세계 생물다양성 목표 달성 ‘0’…50년간 야생동물 3분의1로 감소, click here
Press Trust of India (from AP), World isn’t meeting biodiversity goals UN report finds, click here
Agência Fapesp (via Estadão Brazil, 10,233,510), Países não cumprem metas para deter a perda da biodiversidade global, afirma relatório da ONU, click here
Inter Press Service, Italy, Protecting Nature is Entirely Within Humanity’s Reach: The Work Must Start Now, click here
* News sites
* United States
NY Times, Page A10 (with front page throw); Online: (potential reach, 302,000,000), A ‘Crossroads’ for Humanity: Earth’s Biodiversity Is Still Collapsing, click here
Washington Post, United States (76,467,058), A decade ago, the world agreed to 20 biodiversity targets. It did not meet any of them, click here
National Geographic, United States (12,493,220), The world missed a critical deadline to safeguard biodiversity, UN report says, click here
Scientific American, United States (7,651,239), Global Biodiversity Is in Free Fall, click here
CNN, United States (175,265,192), World fails to meet a single target to stop destruction of nature, UN report finds, click here
CNN en Español, United States (21,079,554), El mundo estableció una fecha límite de 2020 para salvar la naturaleza, pero no se cumplió ni un solo objetivo, dice un informe de la ONU, click here
CBS News, United States (30,589,852), More than 150 countries made a plan to preserve biodiversity a decade ago. A new report says they mostly failed, click here
Science, United States (8,795,126), ‘The warning lights are flashing.’ Report finds nations failing to protect biodiversity, click here
Digital Trends, USA, The UN’s 2020 biodiversity report is ugly, but there’s still hope, click here
Smithsonian, United States (6,173,055), Humans Wiped Out Two-Thirds of the World’s Wildlife in 50 Years, click here (includes reference to GBO5)
UN News, USA, UN report highlights links between ‘unprecedented biodiversity loss’ and spread of disease, click here
In the Know, United States, Biodiversity report says 150 countries have failed to address environmental crisis, click here
The Hill, USA (19,159,404) 1) UN report: Countries have failed to meet a single target to protect wildlife in the last decade, click here 2) Overnight Energy: Smoke from wildfires has reached Europe | EPA postpones environmental justice training | UN report: Countries have failed to meet a single target to protect wildlife in last decade, click here
* United Kingdom
The Guardian, United Kingdom (87,176,172), Lost decade for nature’ as UK fails on 17 of 20 UN biodiversity targets, click here
BBC, United Kingdom, 31,577,655, Extinction: Urgent change needed to save species, says UN, click here; 2nd story: Experts call for new era for wildlife in UK, click here
CBBC Newsround, United Kingdom (76,740,593), Biodiversity: UN report says ‘it is not too late’ to stop the world’s wildlife crisis, click here
Daily Mail, United Kingdom (26,035,604) 1) Video: United Nations biodiversity report warns of ‘unprecedented’ declines, click here; 2) Unprecedented’ declines in biodiversity, UN report warns, click here
INews, United Kingdom (4,970,296), World has failed all 20 global biodiversity targets set in 2010, UN warns, click here
Independent, United Kingdom, World fails to hit all targets to halt biodiversity collapse, UN reports, click here
Times of London, United Kingdom, Survival of forests offers glimmer of hope amid habitat destruction, click here
* France
Le Monde, France (25,434,006), Biodiversité : les Nations unies appellent à « une ambition beaucoup plus grande », click here
Le Figaro, France (28,399,121), «Le Covid a mis en évidence les liens entre l’environnement et la santé humaine», click here
La-Croix, France (2,630,591), Pour Paul Leadley, co-auteur du Giec, « restaurer la biodiversité, c’est possible ! », click here
Sciences et Avenir, France (1,807,140) Le bilan décevant de dix ans d’action pour la biodiversité, click here
Le Point, France (7,447,494), Protection de la biodiversité : l’ONU dans l’impasse, click here
France 24 (EN), France (1,551,507), World failing to meet all biodiversity goals, says UN, click here
* Japan
Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, click here
* China
Baidu (百家号), Mainland China (65,681,102), 里约三公约已将所有实体会议推迟至2021年｜绿会国际部COVID-19速递, click here
CGTN, Mainland China (29,427,707), World fails to meet 20 targets to protect nature by 2020, click here
(Baijiahao) 全球生物多样性展望 百家号, Mainland China (63,186,657), 联合国报告：生物多样性持续丧失增加疾病传播风险 (UN report: Continued loss of biodiversity increases the risk of disease transmission), click here
Global Times, Mainland China (1,452,150), UN calls for shift away from ‘business as usual’ through eight transitions, click here
* Brazil
O Globo, Brazil (19,199,522), Planeta falhou em todas as metas da ONU para conservação da biodiversidade na década, click here
Valor Econômico, Brazil (3,254,684), ONU vê ‘encruzilhada’ entre conter fim de espécies e reversão da curva de danos à biodiversidade, click here
Diário do Centro do Mundo, Brazil (4,399,346), Enquanto Brasil queima, Ricardo Salles se esquiva com informação falsa (While Brazil burns, Ricardo Salles dodges false information), click here
* Germany
Süddeutsche, Germany (16,892,144), Biologische Vielfalt Artenschutz-Bericht zieht düstere Bilanz, click here
Deutsche Welle, via Focus Online, Germany (29,653,507), UN-Bericht: Alle 20 Ziele für Artenschutz wurden verfehlt, click here
Presseportal, Germany (4,978,627), NABU: Weltgemeinschaft hat beim Schutz der biologischen Vielfalt, click here
Taz, Germany (5,727,984), UN-Bericht zu globaler Biodiversität: Kein einziges Ziel erreicht, click here
* Canada
LaPresse, Canada (5,738,851), Constat d’échec de l’ONU pour la protection de la biodiversité, click here
ICI Radio-Canada, Canada (4,137,258) Biodiversité : « C’est un échec collectif, car aucun objectif n’a été pleinement atteint », click here
Radio Canada International (en), Canada (78,686), U.N report: grim picture on global biodiversity and protection efforts, click here
* Australia
ScienceAlert, Australia (8,708,662), We Set 20 Targets to Save Our Planet a Decade Ago, And We’ve Missed Them All, click here
ABC News, Australia (18,944,819), Australia singled out in UN’s dire global biodiversity report, click here
Australia News – The Guardian, Australia (87,176,172), World fails to meet a single target to stop destruction of nature – UN report, click here
* Spain
Okdiario, Spain (19,526,612), El mundo fracasa en el objetivo común de detener la destrucción de la naturaleza, según un informe de la ONU, click here
Business Insider, Spain (2,846,392), La humanidad no ha conseguido cumplir ni un objetivo para detener la destrucción de la naturaleza, según advierte la ONU, click here
* India
The Economic Times, India (12,995,256), Falling Biodiversity Corrodes Welfare, click here
IBTimes, India (1,189,774), World leaders drew 2020 deadline to save earth; set 20 goals, achieved none in 10 years, click here
* Greece
* Other national news sites
World Economic Forum, Switzerland (4,368,725), This island’s dazzling flora makes it the most plant-diverse on the planet, click here
Independent, Ireland (4,200,139), We need to move to a mostly vegetarian diet to save natural world, warns the UN, click here
El Espectador, Colombia (5,884,757), El mundo pierde otra década para preservar la biodiversidad, click here
PrimeraHora, Puerto Rico (2,005,354), Casi inevitable la sexta extición masiva del planeta, click here
MeteoWeb, Italy (1,718,952) Clima, il Wwf: “Il mondo non riuscirà a raggiungere gli obiettivi che avrebbero dovuto fermare la perdita di biodiversità entro il 2020 ma possiamo ancora invertire la rotta”, click here
Público, Portugal (3,784,881), Cientistas portugueses querem “mercado de ecossistemas” em que quem degrada tem de pagar, click here
ABC Nyheter, Norway (1,786,216), Nedslående FN-rapport: Ingen land nådde 2020-målene, click here
Focus, Poland (1,206,852), Przez 10 lat świat nie zrobił nic ws. ochrony bioróżnorodności. Druzgocący raport ONZ, click here
The Guardian, UK, print edition