Planet’s survival is at stake, UN Secretary-General says in Cali. UN chief at biodiversity conference: let’s choose life Climate and environment
Countries must work on four critical areas to deliver on the promises of the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework, in which the international community committed to achieving harmony with nature by mid-century, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said today at the UN Conference on Biodiversity in Cali, Colombia.
“Nature is life. And yet we wage war against it. A war in which there can be no winner. Every year we see the temperature rising higher and higher. “We are losing more species [of flora and fauna] every day,” the UN chief said.
“This is what an existential crisis looks like,” Guterres added.
No country, rich or poor, is immune to the devastation caused by climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution, the Secretary-General stressed.
National Plans to Combat Biodiversity Loss
To overcome this crisis, all countries must present clear, detailed, ambitious plans in line with the objectives of the Framework.
“These national plans must be developed in coordination with Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans,” Guterres said.
“We must shift to green business models and production: renewable energy and resilient supply chains, zero-waste policies and the circular economy, regenerative agriculture and sustainable farming practices. They should become the standard for both governments and businesses,” he added.
Strengthening the monitoring system
The UN chief spoke of the need to strengthen the monitoring system and ensure transparency.
“This is important not only for accountability, but also for course correction and climate ambition,” the Secretary-General said.
Keep financial pledges
Guterres called on countries to deliver on their financial pledges and accelerate support for developing countries.
“We cannot afford to leave Cali without new commitments to adequately capitalize the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and without commitments to mobilize other sources of public and private finance to fully implement the Framework,” the UN chief said.
He stressed the need to involve the private sector. “Those who benefit from nature cannot treat it as a free, infinite resource. They must step up and contribute to its protection and restoration,” the UN chief noted.
Involve all layers of society
Gutteres also recalled that all layers of society and various groups of the population, including indigenous peoples and people of African descent, must be involved in preserving diversity.
“Indigenous peoples, people of African descent, and local communities are the guardians of nature. Their traditional knowledge is a living library of biodiversity conservation,” the Secretary-General said.
“They should be part of every conversation on biodiversity,” he added.
Country-led initiatives for biodiversity conservation
Many countries, the UN chief noted, are taking the lead in this direction. For example, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia and Malaysia are setting an example by increasing efforts to combat deforestation. In the Congo River basin, efforts to expand the area of protected areas have intensified.
The EU Nature Restoration Act is an important step towards reversing the loss of biodiversity, the Secretary-General believes.
“It will be difficult to mobilize all countries, each with its own level of well-being and capabilities. But effective global cooperation will help provide the protection we so desperately need – from wildfires, floods, extreme weather and pandemics,” the UN chief said.
Guterres recalled last year’s Agreement on the Protection of Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, which demonstrated the international community’s resolve to care for the planet.
“We need the same resolve later this year, when countries come together to finalize negotiations on a landmark treaty to combat plastic pollution,” the Secretary-General said. An international conference, “A World Without Plastic Waste,” will be held in Cologne on 13-14 November.
“The survival of our planet and ourselves is at stake. Let’s choose wisely. Let’s choose life,” he concluded.
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