With more than a million species astatine hazard of extinction, countries indispensable enactment present to achieve a sustainable aboriginal for radical and the planet, Secretary-General António Guterres told leaders attending the UN Biodiversity Conference, which opened connected Monday from Kunming, China.
“We are losing our suicidal warfare against nature,” he said successful a video connection to the meeting, which is chiefly being held virtually.
The UN main warned that “humanity’s reckless interference with nature” volition person imperishable consequences.
Ecosystem illness looming
“The complaint of taxon nonaccomplishment is tens to hundreds of times higher than the mean of the past 10 cardinal years – and accelerating. Over a cardinal taxon of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, food and invertebrates are astatine hazard – galore wrong decades,” he said.
“Ecosystem illness could outgo almost 3 trillion US dollars annually by 2030. Its top interaction volition beryllium connected immoderate of the poorest and astir highly indebted countries,” he added.
‘Ceasefire’ with nature
The conference, known arsenic COP15, volition make a planetary roadmap for the conservation, protection, restoration and sustainable absorption of biodiversity and ecosystems for the adjacent decade.
“COP15 is our accidental to telephone a ceasefire,” said the Secretary-General. “Together with COP26 connected climate, it should laic the foundations for a imperishable bid agreement”.
A caller Global Biodiversity Framework tin enactment nature, and people, backmost connected track, helium said, emphasizing that it should enactment successful synergy with the Paris Agreement connected clime change, and different planetary accords connected forests, desertification and oceans.
Areas for action
The UN main outlined 5 areas for enactment astatine the conference, starting with supporting everyone’s legal close to a steadfast environment. This includes the rights of indigenous peoples, who helium described arsenic “stewards of biodiversity”.
The model indispensable besides enactment nationalist policies and programmes that tackle the drivers of biodiversity loss, particularly unsustainable depletion and production.
It indispensable enactment to alteration nationalist and planetary accounting systems, truthful they bespeak the existent outgo of economical activities, including their interaction connected quality and climate.
“Delivering the post-2020 model volition necessitate a bundle of enactment to processing countries, including important fiscal resources and exertion transfer,” helium said.
“And fifth, it indispensable extremity perverse subsidies, including to agriculture, that marque it profitable to onslaught quality and pollute our environment. These funds should beryllium redirected into repairing the harm that has been done”.
Beyond biodiversity
Mr. Guterres said action successful these 5 areas volition spell acold beyond biodiversity, arsenic they volition lend to planetary efforts to execute sustainable development.
He pointed to the future, urging delegates to beryllium bold and ambitious, for the payment of generations to come.
“Young radical basal to suffer astir from the devastation of earthy environments and the nonaccomplishment of species,” he said.
“They are crying retired for change. And they are mobilizing for a sustainable aboriginal for all. They, and we, are counting connected you”.
The UN Biodiversity Conference consists of 3 concurrent meetings. In summation to COP15, meetings of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol connected Biosafety, and the Nagoya Protocol connected entree and sharing of genetic resources, are besides taking place.
The league is being held successful 2 phases. The existent conception runs done Friday, and volition beryllium followed by in-person meetings successful Kunming from 25 April to 8 May 2022.
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