2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Geospatial World also called 2020 "the worst year in terms of climate change" in part due to major climate disasters worldwide, including major bushfires in Australia and the western United States, as well as extreme tropical cyclone activity affecting large parts of North America. A United Nations progress report published in December 2020 indicated that none of the international Sustainable Development Goals for 2020 were achieved. Time magazine used its fifth ever Red X cover to declare 2020 "the worst year ever", although the cover article itself did not go as far, instead saying "There have been worse years in U.S. history, and worse years in world history, but most of us alive today have seen nothing like this one." 2020 was declared the "International Year of Plant Health" by the United Nations and "Year
2020 fue definida en gran medida por la pandemia COVID-19, que condujo a la perturbación social y económica global, cancelaciones masivas y retrasos de eventos, bloqueos mundiales y la mayor recesión económica desde la Gran Depresión de los años 1930. El Mundo Geoespacial también llamó a 2020 el "pior año en términos de cambio climático" en parte debido a grandes desastres climáticos en todo el mundo, incluyendo los grandes incendios forestales en Australia y el oeste de los Estados Unidos, así como la actividad de ciclones tropicales extremos que afectan a grandes partes de América del Norte. Un informe de progreso de las Naciones Unidas publicado en diciembre de 2020 indicó que no se alcanzaron los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible internacionales para el año 2020.