UN expert attacks ‘exploitative’ world economy in fight to save planet

Outgoing special rapporteur David Boyd says there's something wrong with our brains that we can't understand how grave this is'

The race to save the planet is being impeded by a global economy that is contingent on the exploitation of people and nature, according to the UN's outgoing leading environment and human rights expert.

David Boyd, who served as UN special rapporteur on human rights and the environment from 2018 to April 2024, told the Guardian that states failing to take meaningful climate action and regulating polluting industries could soon face a slew of lawsuits.