The resulting synthesis communicates how climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution can be tackled jointly within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. The report serves to translate the current state of scientific knowledge into crisp, clear and digestible facts-based messages that the world can relate to and follow up on. It first provides an Earth diagnosis of current and projected human-induced environmental change, by putting facts and interlinkages in perspective, including by using smart infographics. In building on this diagnosis, the report identifies the shifts needed to close gaps between current actions and those needed to achieve sustainable development. The analysis is anchored in current economic, social and ecological reality and framed by economics and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. By synthesizing the latest scientific findings from the global environmental assessments, the report communicates the current status of the world’s urgent issues and opportunities to solve them.

Land degradation has already reduced productivity in 23 per cent of the global terrestrial area, with economic losses as large as 5 per cent of total GDP being observed.Over the past 50 years, the potential of nature to contribute to human well-being has declined in 14 of 18 major categories of contributions that were recently assessed.

The frequency and intensity of dust storms due to land degradation have increased over the last few decades in many dryland areas.

Unsustainable development is rapidly degrading Earth’s capacity to sustain human well-being
• Human prosperity and well-being – now and in the future – depend on the careful use of the planet’s finite space and remaining resources, as well as on the protection and restoration of its life-supporting systems and capacity to absorb waste.
• Current social, economic and financial systems fail to account for the essential benefits we get from nature and to provide incentives to manage ecosystems and natural capital wisely and maintain their value.
• Over the last 50 years, the global economy has grown nearly fivefold, due largely to a tripling in extraction of natural resources and energy that has fuelled growth in production and consumption. The world population has increased by a factor of two, to 7.8 billion people, and though on average prosperity has also doubled, about 1.3 billion people
remain poor and some 700 million are hungry.
• Piecemeal and uncoordinated action on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution is falling far short of what is needed to prevent environmental decline. That failure is threatening humanity’s future and putting the Sustainable Development Goals out of reach.

The world is failing to meet its commitments to limit environmental damage
• The world is on track for warming of at least 3°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100. That means missing the Paris Agreement target to keep warming well below 2°C and try to limit the increase to 1.5°C in order to avoid the worst impacts.
• None of the global goals for the protection of life on Earth and for halting the degradation of land and oceans have been fully met. Deforestation and overfishing continue, and one million species of plants and animals are threatened with extinction.
• While we are on course to restore the Earth's protective stratospheric ozone layer, there is much to be done to reduce air and water pollution, safely manage chemicals, and reduce and safely manage waste.

Environmental decline is eroding progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals
• The burden of environmental falls most heavily on the poor and vulnerable. Wealthy countries export some of the impacts of their consumption and production to poorer nations through trade and waste disposal.
• Environmental change is undermining progress on ending poverty and hunger, providing clean water and sanitation, reducing inequalities and promoting sustainable economic growth, work for all and peaceful and inclusive societies.
• The deteriorating state of the planet threatens the achievement of health and well-being for all. Around a quarter of the global burden of disease stems from environment-related risks including animal-borne diseases (such as COVID-19), climate change, and exposure to pollution and toxic chemicals. Indoor and outdoor air pollution cause up to 7 million premature deaths per year.
• Environmental risks such as heatwaves, flooding, drought and pollution hamper efforts to make cities and other human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Earth’s interrelated environmental emergencies must be addressed together
• The interconnected nature of climate change, loss of biodiversity, land degradation, and air and water pollution means they must be addressed together to maximize the benefits and minimize trade-offs.
• Meeting the Paris Agreement targets requires more ambitious national climate commitments and rapid transformations in areas including energy systems, land use, agriculture, forest protection, urban development, infrastructure and lifestyles.
• By lowering the degree of warming, quickly reducing greenhouse gas emissions makes it easier and cheaper to adapt to climate change and protect progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The loss of biodiversity can be halted and reversed by expanding protected areas and providing space for nature while also addressing the drivers of degradation such as changing land and sea use, over-exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species.
• The adverse effects of chemicals and waste on the environment and human health can be substantially reduced by fully implementing existing international conventions and further strengthening the scientific basis of global policymaking and regulation