World leaders pledge to halt Earth's destruction ahead of UN summit
Source: The Guardian, Date: , 2020
World leaders have pledged to clamp down
on pollution, embrace sustainable economic systems and eliminate the dumping of
plastic waste in oceans by the middle of the century as part of "meaningful
action" to halt the destruction of nature on Earth.
Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Justin
Trudeau, Jacinda Ardern and Boris Johnson are among 64 leaders from five
continents warning that humanity is in a state of planetary emergency due to
the climate crisis and the rampant destruction of life-sustaining ecosystems.
To restore the balance with nature, governments and the European Union have
made a 10-point pledge to counteract the damage to systems that underpin human
health and wellbeing.
The commitments include a renewed effort
to reduce deforestation, halt unsustainable fishing practices, eliminate
environmentally harmful subsidies and begin the transition to sustainable food
production systems and a circular economy over the next decade. The leaders
describe the pledge as a "turning point" by which future generations will judge
their willingness to act on environmental destruction.