Against the backdrop of civic engagement, such as the
Fridays For Future movement, expectations were high
for 2020 to be a year of accelerating commitment to
climate, biodiversity, and women’s rights; marked by
plans for the UN Climate Summit, the Convention on
Biological Diversity Summit, and the 25th anniversary of
the Beijing Declaration on women’s rights. Instead, the
political agenda was defined by COVID-19, which has
served as an unwelcome, although timely, reminder of
the fundamental interconnectedness of environmental,
social, and economic systems. True recovery and a transi tion to a more resilient global society can be achieved by
adopting an approach based on planetary health with a
core focus on reducing social inequalities. This focus is
necessary because the most vulnerable people globally
are also the least represented in powerful positions in
government and industry
