World leaders urged to 'step back from precipice' of ecological ruin

As governments prepare to negotiate a Paris-style UN agreement on nature, 23 former foreign ministers have issued a call for urgent action

Humanity's ongoing destruction of nature threatens the survival of our species, a group of former foreign ministers has warned, calling on leaders to step back from "the precipice" of irreversible ecological ruin and protect the planet.

The planet's rapidly warming oceans must be the focus of increased conservation efforts due to their importance in producing oxygen and food for billions of people, the former ministers added, as governments prepare to begin negotiations for a Paris-style UN agreement on nature next week.