The EU’s Executive Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, renewed the bloc’s commitment to reverse biodiversity loss and tackle climate change at a recent pledging event, Countdown to CBD COP15: Landmark Leaders Event for a Nature Positive World. The event brought together Presidents and Prime Ministers, as well as indigenous community leaders, NGOs, finance leaders and civil society to commit to momentous action for nature, climate and people – raising momentum for an ambitious global deal to stop and reverse biodiversity loss at the Biodiversity Conference COP15, taking place between 7-19 December 2022 in Montreal, Canada.
“Biodiversity means human health, food security and resilience to climate change,”said European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, in a keynote video address. “The world needs to aim high in Montreal to adopt an ambitious global deal for nature, with measurable goals and targets, a fair monitoring system, and scaled up financing from all sources. Europe is ready to aim high, but we must do this together. Let’s have the courage to do what’s right and let’s do it now.”
The European Commission has recently proposed the first-ever European nature restoration law which would ensure that consumption in Europe does not drive deforestation in other parts of the world and double the international financing for biodiversity, especially for the most vulnerable countries.
As part of the event, government leaders and partners presented a refreshed ambition for nature and people on the ocean and land and showcased key actions in support of a comprehensive approach to finance, including resource mobilisation from all sources in order to achieve an equitable and Nature Positive world by 2030.
New initiatives announced include 0.87 billion euros of new funding from the German government; a 10-point plan for financing biodiversity, endorsed by 16 initial countries, including the EU and the next phase of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People – supporting the protection of at least 30 per cent of land and ocean globally – announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, Rodolfo Solano, on behalf of the President of Costa Rica. The event also saw the endorsement of the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, committing Australia to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
