Focusing on tropical biodiversity hotspots and temperate regions impacted by deforestation and related land use changes, the Horizon Europe-funded ZOE project will dissect the connections between ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss and the emergence of zoonotic diseases. ZOE carries out innovative research across an interdisciplinary consortium with expertise in virology, veterinary medicine, landscape ecology, geography, macroecology, environmental sociology and environmental psychology comprising seven EU and four American countries. The researchers will use cutting-edge technologies and community engagement to inform our understanding of these connections. Furthermore, they will propose means of mitigating the escalating risks to environmental health and human well-being.