​The Covid-19 pandemic caused devastating human, social, and economic distress in almost every part of the world and has reinforced the need for urgent action on reversing ecological degradation worldwide. Covid-19 is just one of a range of diseases to have made the jump from wildlife to people in recent years. It is estimated that one new infectious disease emerges in society every four months and 75% of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, that is, transmitted to people from other animals. Drivers of biodiversity loss like climate change, pollution, and unsustainable land practices disrupt the balance of nature and can raise the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Building back better from the pandemic must include an urgent effort to better understand and manage this intimate link between people and nature. At UNEP-WCMC, we are uniquely placed to ensure our science, knowledge and insights shape global and national policy, in addition to promoting and facilitating the use of science and knowledge more broadly. Our contribution to the global response to the pandemic will focus on two main pathways: 1. Understanding and addressing drivers of zoonotic disease emergence, 2. Seeking a transformational change in the relationship between people and nature