Nature was once vast and boundless, but in an industrialized, 21st century world, this is no longer the case. Across the globe,
landscapes and seascapes are becoming more fragmented. Fragmentation is typically a symptom of landscape transformation and destruction. Maintaining or restoring connectivity between fragmented habitats or landscape patches has been identified as the key to counteracting many of the negative impacts of
fragmentation. Connectivity can be defined as the degree to
which landscapes and seascapes allow species to move freely
and ecological processes to function unimpeded.

Nitrogen is an extremely abundant element in the Earth’s atmosphere. In the form of the N2 molecule, nitrogen is harmless, making up 78 per cent of every breath we take. The two nitrogen atoms are held together by a strong triple bond (N N), making it extremely stable and chemically unreactive. The planet benefits because N2 allows a safe atmosphere in which life can flourish, while avoiding the flammable consequences of too much oxygen. The environmental interest in nitrogen focuses on the conversion of N2 into other
chemically reactive forms. For simplicity, scientists refer to all other nitrogen forms as “fixed” or “reactive nitrogen” (Nr).

This letter from the Acting Executive Director of UN Environment is structured around four main points: i) Where we Stand; ii) Opportunities; iii) Pathways; and iv) A Call to Action. The letter concludes with a challenge: "In Nairobi next month, and in New York in September, let us all prove that we are ready to hold ourselves to account. Our scientists have calculated that we need to increase five-fold, our ambition on climate change.
So, I challenge you, as our window of opportunity gets smaller by the hour:
What does ambitious climate action look like for you?
For climate, for nature, for consumers? For people, for planet, for posterity? What are you ready to bring to the table?"

Did you know that only 23% of the environment-related SDG indicators are on track to meet the target if current trends continue? For 68%, there is not enough data to assess progress and for 9% there is not progress toward achieving the target. Specifically, progress has been made on all 11 environment-related SDGs indicators related to policy, financial and institutional processes with available data; there has been mixed progress in improving access to environmental resources and reducing the impacts of environmental degradation on human health and food security; and there is either no data or no progress towards all 12 of the SDGs targets related to the state of the environment. In order to achieve the environmental dimension of sustainable development, there is a need to scale up environmental action and also to improve environmental monitoring and analysis.