“To care for ourselves we must care for nature” World Environment Day

Modern life as we know it has largely been put on pause with millions of us cooped up indoors as governments try to curtail the spread of the Covid-19 Pandemic. But outside, the natural world has continued to rumble on, and even shown signs of benefiting from our absence. From cleaner air to liberated wildlife, coronavirus lockdowns across the world appear to have had a number of positive effects on the environment (a research). From citizens in Northern India seeing views of the Himalayan mountain ranges for the first time to the water quality improvement in the famous winding canals of Venice; cleaner air has perhaps been the single greatest positive effect of the lockdowns on the environment. Animal activity and wildlife elsewhere has also taken the opportunity presented by our widespread absence from suburban streets and city centres to venture out and explore.

Around the world these new unfamiliar images have given us glimpses of the future possibilities of our world. This period of lockdown has given us the opportunity to reflect our current lifestyles and question their long-term effects.

The Foundation has long since begun this introspection and to consider what really matters. Its own actions in the fields of climate change and the environment reflect that. Please see below for current actions globally