A 168-page report released by the UN this month warns about the current state of the planet, adding that there must be a revolutionary change about how climate change is addressed.
The report also added that humans must not forget about the state of the planet in their pursuit of "wealth and security".
UN secretary-general says human beings are decimating the planet
In his press briefing after the report was released, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that human beings have been destroying the planet in a meaningless way that would come back to haunt us.
He added that our actions have led to three main environmental disasters: climate disturbance, biodiversity death, and pollution.
Inver Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, said the way human beings currently interact with Earth will have a negative impact on our health and prosperity as a species.
The world is currently behind on the objectives outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement that witnessed many countries pledging to reduce the Earth's temperature.
The UN report says the current efforts to preserve the planet is not enough
Despite the restoration of the ozone layer, many species and ecosystems have been killed. The current increase in the Earth's temperature has led to increasingly erratic weather witnessed by different regions in the world.
The report also added that almost half of the illnesses suffered by human beings today we're directly or indirectly caused by climate change or exposure to human waste.
The report pointed out that the current COVID-19 pandemic has presented governments around the world with the opportunity to draft policies that will protect the environment.
"The COVID-19 crisis provides the impetus to rethink how society can accelerate the transformation to a sustainable future." the report said, adding that it would be in the best interest of everyone in power to find innovative ways to work in tandem with the planet.