A Monumental Task for Nature and Biodiversity
Jennifer Morris
CEO @ The Nature Conservancy | Leading bold efforts to scale conservation for people and nature.
Message to High-Level Segment (HLS) of phase one of the 2021-22 UN Biodiversity Conference
We have a monumental task before us which can only be attained through strong collective action. Through these discussions on the new Global Biodiversity Framework, we must find a way to halt the drivers of biodiversity loss and create incentives to stop harming nature and to begin restoring it.
This means transforming food production to better protect and benefit nature while ensuring food and nutrition for people. It also requires us to ensure that investments in the built environment do not fragment or degrade ecosystems.
As governments rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have an opportunity to ensure that investments flow toward activities that help—not harm—nature. At The Nature Conservancy, we see three keys to financing this transformation.
First, countries should undertake reviews of harmful subsidies in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors – at the national level. Our Financing Nature report found that we could identify up to a third of what is needed to close the biodiversity funding gap by redirecting existing subsidies – ultimately reducing the need for additional biodiversity financing.
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Second, we must engage the financial services sector, including the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure, to develop metrics and disclosure requirements for nature-related risk. This is critical to make financial investments and portfolios nature-positive by 2030.
And third, we must drive financial innovation. For example, there is a huge opportunity right now to support indebted countries by helping to restructure their debt in exchange for investing in conservation.
The Nature Conservancy has identified a portfolio of debt for nature swaps that could generate up to 1.6 Billion dollars for marine conservation and help conserve 4 million square kilometers of ocean—a 15% increase in the amount of ocean area currently protected.
The Global Biodiversity Framework can help propel action in each of these three areas and establish the guardrails to ensure we build back with nature in mind.
Thank you all for your efforts toward a nature-positive future as we strive to reach our collective goals during this, and future segments of COP15.
Environment, Natural Resources management and Climate change Adaptation Consultant
3yCongratulations for this great statement. This is great move towards nature conservation while observing climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Indeed countries have to review not only subsidies in the agriculture but also the current climate change adaptation and mitigation policies to be able to address current climate change issues. Countries need to not only commit their resources but also to fulfill their commitment in timely manner.
Climate-Smart Agribusiness and Environmental Governance Consultant at Success in Agriculture
3yThe Science of killing pests and diseases has led to the extermination of a host of so many other beneficial biodiversities important for ecosystem services. I did a study on coffee weeding with tillage and herbicides versus the adoption of desmodium legume cover crop and the benefits far much outway the conventional clear weeding. Soil erosion control on sloping areas increased moisture percolation and retention, less weeds due to the complete cover, increased biological nitrogen fixation, and increased coffee production. The herbicide-treated areas had less bees foraging and thus less yields, were more prone to soil erosion, and weed intensity remained unchanged. Interestingly farmers are intercropping with many other crops but have no knowledge of ecosystem services derived from cover crops including the provision of fodder for livestock with the ravages of changing climate reducing fodder and the ever-increasing feed prices. Solutions should be based on the breath of science embracing cover crops.
Mking the case is about science, economics and policy, but aboce all, about believing that we can do things better