Nature destruction an 'existential crisis' for humans, says UN chief

Soldiers and police officers escort environmentalists during a birdwatching trip in the framework of the COP16 summit in Cali, Colombia, on October 29, 2024. [AFP]

Humanity faces an "existential crisis" caused by its rapacious destruction of life-sustaining nature, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned delegates Tuesday at a biodiversity summit in Colombia.

The 16th so-called Conference of Parties (COP16) to the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) must make progress on the creation of monitoring and funding mechanisms to achieve 23 goals agreed in Canada two years ago to "halt and reverse" nature destruction.