The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has launched the global event, which aims to face the global extinction crisis head on, and safeguard endangered species before it is too late.
International activities will aim to promote biodiversity, highlighting that "all life on earth depends upon species, ecosystems and natural resources".
In Brazil on Friday the event was launched at the margins of the Second Curitiba Meeting on Cities and Biodiversity which was attended by 95 participants, including representatives of 18 cities from around the world and the national focal points for the Convention on Biological Diversity from Canada, the UK, South Africa and Brazil. IUCN is calling for ambitious but realistic biodiversity targets, which can be clearly measured and put into practice. It also wants more research on the status of biodiversity, more protected natural areas, on land and sea, and closer collaboration with the business community to find new ways of combining conservation and commerce.

To view the complete report click here