Faiths for Biodiversity

"The Quran is rich of references to nature and ecology. It teaches many lessons on the protection of biodiversity; from the story of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) who was asked by God to protect all the animals before the coming flood, to Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) who took into consideration the plight of ants whilst marching his army." From the Islamic reflection in biodiversity, written by Kamran Shezad, Director for the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences.

"Embracing interfaith cooperation is a lot like working to protect biodiversity. When the focus is only on helping one species thrive, other parts of the ecosystem get stressed, depleted, or become overly aggressive. True flourishing arrives when an ecosystem finds reciprocity with all species communicating their needs, offering their gifts and working interdependently." Taken from the Interfaith reflection on biodiversity, by Lauren Van Ham from the United Religions Initiative

We recently published a series of reflections from different faith traditions on the importance of protecting biodiversity. From the Bahá’í reflection: In the Bahá’í Faith, nature has an important place demonstrating spiritual values, and the Bahá’í scriptures frequently illustrate spiritual themes with natural metaphors. For example, a garden of multicolored flowers shows the beauty of unity in diversity.

Launched in 2017, the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative is an international, multi-faith alliance that works to bring moral urgency and faith-based leadership to global efforts to end tropical deforestation. We're grateful for their leadership, showing by example the importance of engaging faith leaders and organizations in protecting nature.

At the UNFCCC COP28 last year, the COP28 and COP30 Presidencies, and CBD COP15 and COP16 Presidencies issued a groundbreaking statement on the importance of climate, nature and people. With the links between climate and nature clear for many years, this statement serves as a rallying call for climate and nature solutions to go hand-in-hand. https://buff.ly/3SiJvjq

The Nature Positive Initiative - launched last year during UNGA - is a key platform to mobilize for a nature positive world. Be sure to join them through their Forum for the latest news and updates.

Faith-based organizations can be key partners in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework. To help development practitioners and other civil society actors work with faith groups, our team developed this helpful resource. We explain: 🌎 How faith groups understand the world and their role in it 🌎 Emerging trends of faith action on nature 🌎 GBF Targets aligned with faith values and action 🌎 Recommendations for partnering with faith-based organizations

A shoutout to our fellow advocates, Women4Biodiversity, who always continue to inspire and lead by example. Read their latest updates:

Great work and leadership from Business for Nature!

Exciting news for nature conservation! 🌳🌻 After extensive negotiations, the European Union has officially approved a groundbreaking nature restoration law. This landmark legislation aims to repair degraded ecosystems across Europe, 81% of which are considered in poor health. This monumental achievement is a testament to the power of collective action and unwavering commitment to safeguarding our planet's biodiversity. By prioritizing nature restoration, the EU is taking a bold step towards a more sustainable and resilient future. https://lnkd.in/g88HdY93