'Humanity is treating nature like a toilet, committing suicide by proxy': UN chief

UNITED NATIONS

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said ''humanity seems hellbent on destruction'' by ''treating nature like a toilet'' at COP15, a two-week summit which kicked off in Montreal, Canada on Tuesday.

''We are waging war on nature,'' said Guterres, urging nations to forge a peace pact with nature.

''We have conducted a cacophony of chaos, played with instruments of destruction.''

Guterres said the planet's land, water and air are poisoned by chemicals and pesticides and choked with plastics.

He accused multinational corporations of filling their bank accounts while emptying ''our world of its natural gifts.''

''With our bottomless appetite for unchecked and unequal economic growth, humanity has become a weapon of mass extinction. We are treating nature like a toilet. And ultimately, we are committing suicide by proxy,” he said.

''The loss of nature and biodiversity comes with a steep human cost. A cost we measure in lost jobs, hunger, disease and deaths. A cost we measure in the estimated $3 trillion in annual losses by 2030 from ecosystem degradation. A cost we measure in higher prices for water, food and energy.''

He said this conference is the last chance to stop this orgy of destruction.

''No excuses. No delays. Promises made must be promises kept,'' he said, calling on governments to develop bold national action plans to step up for biodiversity.