100+ organizations voice concern at low ambition of biodiversity negotiations

Joint call at IUCN World Conservation Congress demands governments act to secure a nature-positive world by 2030

MARSEILLE, France (7 September) Organizations representing all corners of society from around the world have come together to issue an unprecedented joint call for governments to strengthen a draft global biodiversity agreement.

The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework is currently being negotiated by governments under the auspices of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. It presents a once-in-a-decade opportunity for the world to secure a global agreement to halt and reverse the loss of nature, but the pace of negotiations has been slow and lacking in ambition.

The growing concern from leading organizations is over the lack of ambition displayed by governments negotiating the agreement. NGOs, faith groups, local and regional governments, Indigenous Peoples, academics, youth, business coalitions and artists are united in calling for governments to deliver an ambitious agreement at COP15 that reverses biodiversity loss to secure a nature-positive world by 2030.

The joint call to action will be discussed today at a launch event, convened by non-state actors at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, taking place in Marseille, France. Speakers at the event include Inger Anderson, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme; Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International; Lucy Mulenkei, Executive Director, Indigenous Information Network; and Sofia Sprechmann, Secretary General of Care International.

Sign up here to register for the event and participate in person or virtually.

Human activities are causing a catastrophic loss of biodiversity, with one million species now threatened by extinction. This destruction of nature undermines its ability to support us, placing human health and livelihoods at risk.

The signatories, which include leading academics, stress that reversing biodiversity loss is a moral responsibility, but it will also help avoid future pandemics, fight climate change and land degradation, and enhance environmental security. Continued loss of nature threatens not only half of global GDP, but also our opportunities to uphold human rights, and reduce social and gender inequalities.

The strong presence of humanitarian and development organizations among the signatories reflects biodiversity loss’ role in undermining human security and the need for connected action for nature and people.

Crucially, the call to governments highlights the commitments made by many world leaders in the past year to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, through the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature and the G7 2030 Nature Compact. Leaders are called on to deliver an ambitious global biodiversity agreement which acts on these commitments.

To secure a nature-positive world by 2030, governments are urged to include a nature-positive mission in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and to ensure a rights-based approach, including to nature-based solutions and to conserving 30% of land, freshwater and seas by 2030.

Governments are further called on to ensure the final agreement tackles the drivers of biodiversity loss – including unsustainable agriculture and food systems, forestry, fisheries, infrastructure, and extractives – by securing a just transition that halves the footprint of production and consumption by 2030. Other key areas of the draft agreement that need strengthening include ensuring adequate financial resources and an effective implementation mechanism.

“The Global Biodiversity Framework is possibly one of the last windows humanity has to reset its trajectory towards a nature-postive world. By raising our ambitions now, and following with concrete implementation action, we will be signalling to our current and future generations that we care about nature, and them” said Dr Ritesh Kumar, Wetlands International South Asia.

Notes to Editors: 

• The call to action, Secure an equitable, nature positive, net zero emissions world, is available to view here. This will be updated with the full list of initial signatories for launch.
• For latest signatories, ahead of launch, please see here.
• The UN Convention on Biodiversity has confirmed that the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) will take place in two parts, the first scheduled for 11-15 October 2021 and including a high level segment, and the second scheduled for 25 April-8 May 2022, in Kunming, China. and including a second high level segment and concluding negotiations.
• #TheRaceIsOn: Nature Positive by 2030 is a global multi-stakeholder communications campaign, supported by governments, business groupings and civil society, to drive ambition and action on nature through to the biodiversity and climate CoPs in 2021, and beyond, into a ‘Decade of Action’.

Wetlands International

Wetlands International is the global non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands. Its vision is a world in which wetlands are cherished for their beauty, the life they support and the resources they provide. Its mission is to inspire and mobilize society to protect and restore wetlands for people and nature.