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The many overlapping crises of 2020 are not just hallmarks of a bad year. They reflect the human-caused environmental damage that will keep compounding in the epoch dubbed the Anthropocene, where humanity’s impact on the planet dominates all else. Writing for the World Bank's Voices blog, GEF CEO…

The post-coronavirus recovery will offer a chance to improve water security for the world's neediest people Access to clean water for washing hands has been the first line of defense during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has made water security a renewed priority for development assistance and for…

Global crises reqiure exceptional leadership to shift old systems into new ones Even before COVID-19 struck, we were entering the most important decade yet for humankind. Now, eight months into it, business and government leaders stand at a crossroads, as they choose how to rebuild economies and…

Momentum to reverse nature loss is growing, but there is still a long way to go In evolutionary time, a decade is but a flick of nature’s eyelid. That makes the rapid depletion of biodiversity over the past 10 years all the more distressing. Our forests are disappearing, our coral reefs are dying…

Businesses that integrate sustainability are more resilient As chief executive of a firm that has for 50 years helped the world’s leading organizations navigate sustainability challenges, I am often asked how companies should prepare for a next crisis such as COVID-19 or other future shocks. The…

A new sustainable approach to food and agriculture must tackle hunger, improve nutrition, safeguard the environment and hardwire resilience to global shocks such as COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic began as a health crisis, but it is also an environmental crisis that has quickly evolved into an…

The year 2020 was considered a 'super year' for biodiversity. A string of interconnected events offered a unique opportunity to build a global coalition and international policy framework that recognized the central role of nature to all life on Earth. At the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) 196…

How do we address the climate crisis, preserve biodiversity and recover from the pandemic? If a frog is put into hot water, it jumps straight out. However, if the water is at room temperature and then heated, the frog settles and relaxes, becoming so comfortable that it does not react, even at…

This week is World Water Week, an annual event sponsored by the Stockholm International Water Institute that is being held virtually for the first time in its history because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have attended World Water Week since its earlier days over 20 years ago and for me there is no…

Biodiversity loss threatens society, businesses and a well-functioning economy Biodiversity has decreased by 60 percent in just four decades, the WWF Living Planet Index has concluded. Scientists even speak of the Earth entering the sixth extinction event in its history, and it appears that the…