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In March, a recycled plastic gavel hammered down sealing a global resolution to work towards ending plastic pollution, long considered one of the planet’s most pressing environmental blights. The agreement was one of several major environmental accords forged in 2022, which observers have called a historic year for the planet. In pacts, many shepherded by , that unfolded from March to December, nations large and small committed to addressing everything from the fallout of climate change to a looming extinction crisis. Here's a closer look at 2022’s environmental milestones.

 of the planet’s remaining biodiversity is located in Indigenous Peoples’ lands. Here are examples of how Indigenous Peoples are conserving biodiversity with ’s support.

The 51�Թ� recognizes 10 ground-breaking efforts from around the globe for their role in restoring the natural world. They were selected under the banner of the , a global movement coordinated by and , designed to prevent and reverse the degradation of natural spaces across the planet. The winning initiatives are eligible to receive UN-backed promotion, advice or funding. Together, the 10 flagships aim to restore more than 68 million hectares − an area bigger than Myanmar, France or Somalia − and create nearly 15 million jobs.

Biodiversity is our planet’s wealth. It is a cornerstone of development, and its loss threatens many hard-won development gains. Biodiversity blunts the impact of other crises, like climate change and conflict, on development; it is also the wealth of poor nations and poor communities within nations as a producer of jobs and GDP. The ’s&�Բ�����; provides tools and expertise for governments and the financial sector as they integrate environmental and sustainability considerations into public and private decisions.

The equivalent of one soccer pitch of soil erodes every five seconds. Yet it takes 1 000 years to produce just a few centimetres of topsoil. Soil is the life support of our food and agriculture. We rely on soils for 95 percent of our food. Yet on this course, by 2050, 90 percent of all soils are set to be degraded. Change is needed to secure our ecosystems, climate and food security. has been working for the past decade with countries and over 500 partners to address soil-related issues, positioning soil on the Global Agenda.

Soil degradation threatens crop productivity, plant health, the quality of food and, ultimately, people; a hefty consideration as we mark World Soil Day on Monday (5 December). Every year, soil erosion is responsible for the loss of. Land use plays a key role in mitigating climate change. Healthy forests and soils help to regulate the planet’s temperature and store carbon. Every year, the rehabilitates almost 200,000 hectares of land around the world – more than twice the size of New York City.

Women play a key role in mountains' environmental protection and social and economic development. They are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity, keepers of traditional knowledge, custodians of local culture, and experts in traditional medicine. International Mountain Day 2022 (11 December) is an opportunity to promote gender equality and therefore contribute to improving social justice, livelihoods and resilience. Let’s make the whole world know that “”. Join the conversation on social media by using #MountainsMatter.

The  (UNEP) has announced its 2022 , honouring a conservationist, an enterprise, an economist, a women’s rights activist, and a wildlife biologist for their transformative action to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation. ! Since its inception in 2005, the annual Champions of the Earth award has been awarded to trailblazers at the forefront of efforts to protect our natural world. It is the UN’s highest environmental honour.  This year the organization received a record 2,200 nominations.

Crashing populations of plants, animals and insects lead fears that the planet is entering its sixth mass extinction. reports on the efforts underway to revive terrestrial and marine habitats.

The Mbera Fire Brigade in Mauritania, is one of the winners of the 2022 Nansen Refugee Award, for their courage and tenacity in safeguarding lives, livelihoods and a local environment.

When it comes to learning how to nurture seedlings to grow into trees, improving your surroundings and restoring the land around you, you’re never too young to make a start. That’s the thinking behind a project in Tanzania, supported by and its partners, setting up more than 30 clubs in primary and secondary schools to impart these skills to children from an early age. Under the project, staff also deliver services such as business incubation trainings, entrepreneurship methodology and community microfinancing to the adults in the community.

The way food is produced and consumed today results in high rates of food loss and waste. This waste is responsible for an estimated 8-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Food loss and waste has other impacts, such as wasted resources, loss of biodiversity and loss of natural ecosystems. All of this happens against a backdrop of rising food insecurity and malnutrition, with some 828 million people around the world suffering from hunger. promotes the massive potential to reduce the emissions of the sector while delivering benefits across the SDGs.

For the first time in history, the has that a is a universal human right. The 51�Թ� Development Programme () and our global partners took some time to celebrate and reflect on this accomplishment before we roll up our sleeves and get to work translating this critical decision into tangible progress for environmental justice and the Sustainable Development Goals.

In the words of Sara Omi, President of the Coordinator of Territorial Women Leaders of Mesoamerica and Embera, "What is different now is that we have a document from the 51�Թ� where all states are responsible." From Panama to Senegal, Paraguay, Thailand, Türkiye, Nairobi, Bolivia, Gambia, and Indonesia, here are the .

The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the Sun, helping preserve life on our planet. As the treaty turns 35 on Ozone Day, we remember how the Montreal Protocol ended one of the biggest threats ever to face humanity as a whole: the depletion of the ozone layer. When the world found out that ozone-depleting gases used in aerosols and cooling were creating a hole in the sky, it came together and phased out these gases. Now the ozone layer is healing, allowing it to continue to shield humanity from the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

This year’s International Day of Clean Air for blue skies focuses on the transboundary nature of air pollution, stressing the need for collective accountability and action. It also highlights the need for immediate and strategic international and regional cooperation for more efficient implementation of mitigation policies and actions to tackle air pollution. We all breathe the same air, and one atmosphere protects and sustains us all. Pollution is a global problem that we must act together to combat. #TheAirWeShare