More than 100 wildfires are still raging across Australia, with record-breaking temperatures and drought contributing to the loss of more than six million hectares of land that is home to some of the most unique plants and animals in the world. 

Some estimates suggest that around half a billion animals have burnt to death in the state of New South Wales alone. 

In an interview with UN News, John Scanlon, Special Envoy for the African Parks non-profit organization and former Secretary-General of CITES - the UN-backed Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - said that the increasing threat to biodiversity must be “lifted up to the international agenda”.  

The Australian-born environment and conservation expert spoke to Julia Dean from our UN Information Centre in Canberra.