The Principality of Monaco is involved in the 2021 edition of the United Nations’ World Wildlife Day, set for March 3. This year, the focus of the special day is on forests and the profound impact that they have on preserving life and indeed the planet.

While 350 million people live in or around forests, at least 1.3 billion more depend on them in some way. Forests are also home to a broad range of life, and sustain all life on Earth through the absorption of CO2 emissions. Yet too many of us take forests for granted.

These precious ecosystems are gravely threatened and their predicted disappearance will catalyse global warming and the loss of biodiversity worldwide. The good news is that we can keep our forests alive.

At 14:00 CET on March 8, the UN will host its first ever virtual World Wildlife Day event, which will take a deeper look at the equilibrium of forest ecosystems and how they can be protected.