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As the diverse and severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt across the world, an “unparalleled economic shock” is putting development gains at risk, the UN chief told a meeting of high-powered business leaders on Wednesday.

“Unemployment has skyrocketed. Temporary business closures are becoming permanent. Rebuilding to pre-crisis levels of employment and output may take years”, Secretary-General António Guterres told at a virtual gathering of the Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance (GISD).

As COVID-19 hits the fossil fuel industry, a new UN report published on Wednesday shows that renewable energy is more cost-effective than ever – providing an opportunity to prioritize clean energy in national economic recovery packages and bring the world closer to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.
 

Even as countries buckle under the devastating social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, they must consider the links between gender inequality and crisis, particularly in communities affected by climate change and conflict.

That’s the premise of a new UN report which argues that understanding these connections can help policymakers and donors to mitigate risks of violence and support the building of resilient, inclusive and peaceful societies.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic could push nearly 50 million more people into extreme poverty, this and other dire impacts of the crisis can be avoided if countries act immediately to shore up global food security, the UN Secretary-General said on Tuesday.

For his latest policy brief on the pandemic, António Guterres focused on the need to safeguard everyone’s access to food and adequate nutrition: for now, and in the future.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic could push nearly 50 million more people into extreme poverty, this and other dire impacts of the crisis can be avoided if countries act immediately to shore up global food security, the UN Secretary-General said on Tuesday.

For his latest policy brief on the pandemic, António Guterres focused on the need to safeguard everyone’s access to food and adequate nutrition: for now, and in the future.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a “sharp reminder” of how we are all intimately connected to each other and to nature, the UN chief said on Monday, World Oceans Day.

The COVID-19 pandemic will shrink the global economy by 5.2 per cent this year, representing the deepest recession since World War Two, and triggering a dramatic rise in extreme poverty, the World Bank said Monday in its latest Global Economic Prospects report.

The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening globally, with more than 136,000 cases recorded on Sunday: the highest number in a single day, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

How can agriculture become better able to resist major international shocks such as climate change, and health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic?

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is working with governments and NGOs, to help smallholder farmers to cope with disasters, and transform agriculture to be more resilient, and sustainable.

Agriculture is a significant actor in the climate crisis: some 2.5 billion people work in the sector, which is a primary cause of biodiversity loss, and contributes to around 20 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Eating contaminated food has caused an estimated 600 million people in the world, or almost one-in-ten individuals, to fall ill – 420,000 of whom die every year, two UN specialized agencies highlighted on Sunday, World Food Safety Day.