At the Trondheim Biodiversity Conferences in Norway, a diverse group of influential international organizations has announced a global coalition to elevate a business call for comprehensive action to reverse nature loss and restore the planet’s vital natural systems.
There is mounting evidence that the health of the planet is declining at rates never before seen in human history. This destruction of nature undermines human health and well-being, societal resilience, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. It places severe costs on businesses and economies and makes addressing other global challenges, such as climate change and social inequalities, significantly more difficult.
In order to halt the loss of the natural world, we must ensure that a clear understanding of the relationship between nature, people and economies is integrated into all economic sectors, and at all levels of decision making. For instance, combating climate change cannot be achieved without addressing our impacts and dependencies on nature.
2020 marks a critical opportunity to halt the deterioration of the natural world, the decline of life on Earth, and the loss of the natural capital and ecosystem services that underpin human wellbeing and the global economy. During this year, world leaders have an opportunity to forge international agreements to reverse nature loss similar to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.
In order to encourage governments to embrace this crucial set of policies, the business community has a critical role to play in demonstrating that the safeguarding of nature makes economic sense, and in identifying the policies and mechanisms needed for global systemic and transformative change in the private sector. To secure the buy-in of the business community, and to foster a sense of shared ownership over the agreements and outcomes, the private sector must be included from the outset in the development of these agreements.
“The World Economic Forum is thrilled to announce this coalition here in China at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions and it is inspiring to see how Chinese and international businesses are welcoming the initiative. World leaders have a unique opportunity to forge an international agreement to reverse nature loss and increase collective action. Working together – as a coalition of parties who care about sustainable production, livelihoods and nature – is the only way we can deliver more transformative change.” Justin Adams, Executive Director of Tropical Forest Alliance at World Economic Forum.
Original source: WWF
Published on 03 July 2019
