CEO @ BirdLife International | Supporting 123 partner organisations in 119 countries and territories around the world
We are in the final quarter of 2024 and the stakes for upcoming biodiversity and climate talks are rising. While Australia hosts the first Global Nature Positive Summit in Sydney this week, hurricane Milton barrels into Florida - the intensity of such storms exacerbated by climate change triggering rising sea surface temperatures and a warmer atmospheres which carries more water. And the Joint WWF and Zoological Society of London (ZSL) #LivingPlanet report today outlines new stats about the status of biodiversity - freshwater species populations have now crashed by 85% on average since I was born in 1970. Next week, in Cali, Colombia, the latest round of global biodiversity will begin. Having agreed the #GlobalBiodiversityFramework in Montreal two years ago including its 4 goals and 23 targets to reverse the loss of biodiversity and put nature on the path to recovery, just 20 countries have updated their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans to reflect this new ambition. What’s more, the commitments to mobilise new resources ($20 billion was promised from developed nations by 2025) remain inadequate as reported by Campaign for Nature. When parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meet in Baku, Azerbaijan in November, once again they will have to face up to the inadequacy of existing commitments and plans. Climate Action Tracker states “Current policies presently in place around the world are projected to result in about 2.7°C warming above pre-industrial levels. NDCs alone will limit warming to 2.5°C. When binding long-term or net-zero targets are included warming would be limited to about 2.1°C above pre-industrial levels.” The challenge is daunting. But, the BirdLife International community continues to inspire greater action by both businesses and governments through both its science and practical conservation. For example: - This week the Nature Positive Initiative – of which BirdLife International is a core partner - has launched an open consultation on State of Nature Metrics which will help businesses and government measure progress on the path to halting and reversing biodiversity declines – see here: https://lnkd.in/eKG-ejMm - Having campaigned hard for the EU Nature Restoration Law (the world’s first), we’ve produced a practical guide for the 27 Member States to guide implementation - see here: https://lnkd.in/eNZnTxyS - BirdLife Partners will unite to use our voice for nature to influence talks in Sydney, Cali and Baku bolstered we by messages of hope from people from all round the world. You can add your own voice here: https://lnkd.in/evvY_JNs Yes, the challenge remains daunting but we remain driven by hope and optimism. And that's how we'll end the nature and climate emergency.
Indranil Das
2mo
Good life ∝ BirdLife 🦅🦉
Co-founder and Executive Director at Rewilding Europe | LinkedIn Top Green Voice Europe | Working to make Europe a Wilder Place | For Nature, People and Climate |
2moMartin very much agree, all these policy developments are critically important to create an enabling environment for protecting and restoring nature. However I think there needs to be much more attention for practical work, at landcape and regional scale, for this to happen on the ground. Where we can see, feel, smell and experience real progress and where we see nature and people bouncing back. Practical nature recovery needs much, much more support and upscaling to make a difference in the real world. There is huge potential all over the world.