With the COVID-19 crisis, a Global Call to Action, signed by 1,000 leaders and scientists, urges world leaders to make their economic recovery plans in response to the virus, transformative for people and nature. 

The open letter  – also published in the March 27th edition of the Financial Times – underlines that the planet is in the midst of  a deeper and longer-term crisis rooted in a number of interconnected global challenges, and that international  cooperation is the best option to resolve future threats.  The letter states that there is an opportunity in how leaders decide to stimulate the economy in response to the crisis, that could help secure a path to  net zero emissions by 2050  to meet the Paris Agreement, transform our food systems and rebuild our relationship with nature.  

There is also a call for  climate and biodiversity to stay at the top of the agenda  in 2020 and beyond, and that leaders leverage every opportunity to keep up momentum for the United Nations summits (UN General Assembly Nature Summit, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Convention on Biological Diversity) that are still progressing.

The signatory list encompasses many in the Future Earth community, including members of the Earth Commission, members of many Future Earth Global Research Projects and Knowledge Action Networks, and several Future Earth national/regional centers and global hubs. Signatures are being accepted here.