Nature is our biggest ally in poverty reduction and achieving human welfare

A broad and joined-up approach is needed if we are to match human demands with the capacity of the planet

We are developing all sorts of technologies based on what we have learnt from birds, animals and soils. Pollination is worth £billions. But it also highlights how nature is so interconnected.

The wealthiest 300 people have greater riches than the three billion poorest. The three wealthiest people have greater riches than the 48 poorest countries put together. With only limited environmental space to accommodate the expected 9 billion human inhabitants of the world by 2050, such disparities in consumption are clearly not sustainable

Nature is our biggest ally in poverty reduction and achieving human welfare

The coming week in The Hague may prove to be one of the most important in the three-and-a-half-billion year history of life on earth.

The US is responsible for 25 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. It should take responsibility for leading the way.