Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. It disrupts societies and economies around the world, causing weather disturbances and social and economic tensions, such as declining livelihoods and exacerbated conflicts. Through education, innovation and adherence to global climate commitments, we can all bring about the changes needed to protect the planet. These changes represent opportunities to ensure sustainable economic models and promote greater global prosperity.
 

There can be no sustainable development without sustainable consumption and production. Energy use in the commercial and residential sectors is the second fastest growing area of global energy consumption after transport. Agriculture and the textile industry are the world's largest polluters of clean water. By 2020, the OECD forecasts a 32% increase in car ownership and expects global air traffic to triple, which will inevitably lead to an increase in CO2 emissions. While about one-third of all food produced worldwide is wasted each year, millions of people suffer from hunger. Individuals can make impactful changes in their daily lives to reduce their own waste and carbon footprint.

Human beings, like other living organisms, are part of the ecosystem and depend on nature. Biodiversity is essential to human life, providing many resources that are crucial to our existence. Over 70% of the world's poor live in rural areas and depend on biodiversity and ecosystems for their livelihoods. Today, biodiversity loss is a major global threat. With the current rate of species extinction estimated to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than it would be naturally, scientists say that the biodiversity crisis has now passed the tipping point of ‘planetary boundaries’, with a risk of irreversible changes that will profoundly affect human beings. Promoting the sustainable use of our ecosystems and preserving biodiversity is not just a cause, it is key to our survival.

Global consumption of natural resources has expanded rapidly, as has the material footprint per capita. Urgent action is needed to ensure that current demands do not lead to overexploitation of resources or the degradation of environmental resources. According to the United Nations, if human activity continues at its current pace, we will need three planets to support our lifestyles by 2050. We consume more resources than the planet can generate, and rising levels of pollution and waste are only exacerbating the problem. As natural resources are not infinite, we must all learn to “do more and better with less” at all levels through reuse and recycling.