David Attenborough calls for global $500 billion a year investment in nature

British ecologist and nature documentary host David Attenborough called for a $500 billion per year global investment in nature on Wednesday.

The call came during a one-day summit held by the United Nations convened to discuss the protection of wildlife on the planet. 

The world spends a collective $80 billion to $90 billion on wildlife and nature conservation each year. However, according to Reuters, studies show that much more money is needed to keep ecosystems from collapsing. 

Attenborough joined conservation groups Wednesday cautioning that the planet’s future is in “grave jeopardy,” according the wire service.

“Our natural world is under greater pressure now than at any time in human history, and the future of the entire planet – on which every single one of us depends – is in grave jeopardy,” Attenborough said in a statement.

“We still have an opportunity to reverse catastrophic biodiversity loss, but time is running out,” he added.

On Monday, Britain, Canada and other nations joined the European Union in pledging to protect 30 percent of their land and seas by 2030, Reuters reported. U.N. officials aim to secure a global agreement at a similar target during biodiversity negotiations set to take place in China next year.

Last week, Attenborough launched an Instagram account, posting a video sharing that his profile’s focus would underscore issues threatening the environment and solutions to the problems affecting the planet.