Human activities such as uses of land have altered ecosystems, degraded biodiversity, disrupted carbon-nitrogen cycles, and increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere. In January 2021, Nature published a paper which analyzed the drivers of GHG emission trends from land use by region and sector during the period from 1961 to 2017. In 2017, GHG emissions from land use accounted for about 25% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions, but the causes varied greatly from region to region. 

In January 2021, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Oxford published the results of Peoples’ Climate Vote, the largest survey of public opinion on climate change, conducted in 50 countries and covering more than half of the world's population. The survey showed that despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 64% of people perceive climate change as an emergency facing the world. 

Resilience is becoming a top priority in sustainability and development agendas, including high-level policy initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. In January 2021, Nature Sustainability published an article calling for improved resilience indicators. 

In recent years, expectations for digital technology as a means of providing weather, technology, and market information to farmers have increased in Africa, and the corona crisis is likely to be an opportunity to accelerate trials for the digital transformation. The Sasakawa Africa Association's pilot project to build the "e-Extension Platform" in Africa is introduced. 

The simultaneous occurrence of COVID-19 and the desert locust infestation in 2020 provided an opportunity to highlight potential distribution vulnerabilities in the food supply chain. In a globalized society, the world food security situation is unpredictable and it is necessary to be prepared. A paper published in Nature Food in January 2021 was inspired by the simultaneous occurrence of COVID-19 and desert locust invasion in 2020 and a scenario analysis was conducted to quantify the impact of such events and other threats on global food security.

The Global Risks Report, published annually by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January, is drawing attention in predicting trends in global issues as it captures the changing perspectives of world leaders on how to perceive the world. The 2021 report ranked infectious diseases as the global risk with the greatest impact. At the same time, infectious diseases ranked 4th in the top ranking global risks by likelihood, along with climate change related risks such as extreme weather (1st), climate action failure (2nd), human environmental damage (3rd), and biodiversity loss (5th).

On January 14, 2021, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published the Adaptation Gap Report 2020, providing updates on the progress of climate change adaptation measures and the actions required. As climate change progresses, there is an increasing need for countries to take climate change adaptation measures as well as climate change mitigation measures. By taking adaptation measures, it is possible to avoid a serious crisis in the future, and the benefits are said to exceed the cost of implementing adaptation measures.

In January 2021, The Lancet Planetary Health published a commentary entitled "Planetary Health Diplomacy: A Call for Action". In the recovery from the pandemic, the participation of experts in international relations involved in the formulation and implementation of strategic policies for planetary health is requested in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs.

A paper published in PNAS showed that understanding nature’s contributions to people and monitoring their benefits are crucial in improving our ability to manage earth systems efficiently, equitably and sustainably. The paper reviewed the impact of the progress of environmental degradation over the last 50 years on human quality of life, and noted a declining trend in the potential for nature to contribute in the majority of material, nonmaterial and regulating contributions assessed.