Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (downtown), the international legal instrument for the protection of biodiversity ratified by 196 countries, says UN News.
‘Biodiversity Day‘ at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh which took place just two weeks ago a high level gathering of CBD member states in Montreal, to reverse biodiversity loss.
Four key architects of Paris Agreementincluding former UN climate change chief Christiana Figueres, has formally asked world leaders to come up with an ‘ambitious and transformative’ global biodiversity agreement in Upcoming COP15 on biodiversity.
“The climate and nature agendas are inextricably linked… Only by taking urgent action to prevent and reverse the loss of nature this decade, while continuing to accelerate efforts a rapid decarbonisation of our economy, we can hope to deliver on the promise of the Paris Agreement,” they said. in a statement.
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Connect, explain
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) explains that biodiversity loss has been significantly influencing regional and global climate changes.
While Natural ecosystems play an important role in climate regulation and can help sequester and store carbon, deforestation, wetland depletion and other environmental degradation that have significantly contributed to climate change.
According to the agency, efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and restore ecosystems, for example, can contribute to reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions.
“If we invest in nature and natural infrastructure, forests, coral reefs, mangroves, coastal forests, that will protect us from major storms. It provides habitat for species, but it also stores carbon. So it has both mitigation and adaptation aspects,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. UN News.
Coral reefs get a new guardian at COP27
At the same time, biodiversity is affected by extreme weather and temperature events, especially in developing countries, due to limited resources to protect them. This is worrisome, as 15 of the 17 countries with the greatest biodiversity are located in the Southern Hemisphere.
The impact of climate change on biodiversity is already clear, especially with many animals forced to change their migration patterns, with plants struggling to adapt to changes in temperature. , and of course vulnerable to serious injury Polar bears – ‘animals’ of global warming – are starving in the Arctic due to a lack of sea ice in a warming world.
In the ocean, biologists are witnessing another tragedy as coral reefs, which provide food and shelter for more than 7,000 other species, are dying from warming and acidification of the oceans. ocean.
UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, Ellie Goulding launched a new initiative at COP27 to protect these colonial animals.
Last week, she led an expedition in the Red Sea, off the coast of Sharm el-Sheikh.
“There is this sheer visual beauty. As you walk through with your mask on and witness the dazzling abundance of marine life, you will feel as if all life is swimming before your eyes. And it reminds me that coral makes up only a small percentage of the seafloor, but it supports a quarter of all known marine species,” she told a panel Wednesday.
Ms. Goulding reminded the participants that even if the temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius, 70 to 90 percent of coral reefs will disappear; this number spikes to a worrying 99% if our planet heats up 2.0 degrees Celsius.
“This is one of the best climate-tolerant reefs in the world, and it just happens to be right under your feet in Sharm el-Sheikh. And this is no ordinary reef. It is one of nature’s great survivors and it could be the key to regenerating other reefs in the future,” she explains.
The singer-songwriter said it was “insulting” that less than 0.01% of climate finance was spent on protecting coral reefs.
“I ask the global community of leaders to recognize that coral reefs are one of our greatest collective assets and take it seriously, get serious ambitions and compete for funding,” she said. , recovery and protection.
The Amarakaeri Community Reserve (RCA) is a 402,335.96 hectare naturally protected area managed by 10 communities of harakbuts, yines and machiguengas in Madre de Dios, in the Peruvian Amazon.
Forest, Amazon and promises
Importance commitment to forest protection was done last year at COP26 in Glasgow.
“Some of them are starting to roll into reality. But there is a reason why Egypt considers this ‘implemented COP’; because those commitments and promises must see real action,” said UNEP head Andersen.
Last week, the European Union also announced a new framework of cooperation on tackling deforestation in Guyana, Mongolia, Republic of Congo, Uganda and Zambia.
On Wednesday, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President-elect of Brazil, drew large crowds at booths and boardrooms in the afternoon as he stressed that his country would fight very hard. against illegal deforestation in the Amazon. He also announced that Brazil aims to host COP30 by 2025.
Mr. Lula da Silva also announced the creation of an indigenous ministry in his new administration.
“He will focus mainly on the Amazon and the rainforests. And of course, it’s a huge boon for the climate, for biodiversity and for the people of the Amazon,” Andersen responded to the Brazilian leader’s statement.
The President of COP27 of Egypt today also announced a series of initiatives related to biodiversity protection.
Indigenous activists protest at COP27.
‘We need to act now’
Indigenous activists, who have made a strong showing since the start of COP27, speak out especially today, as they are the defenders of our planet’s biodiversity.
“My community was hit by two tornadoes in one year and [entire] The city was completely destroyed. We don’t want to live like this anymore. We need a safe space; we need a safe planet,” said Adriana da Silva Maffioletti, a young activist from Brazil. UN News.
She added that she hopes world leaders will listen to indigenous leaders instead of exploiting them.
“Indigenous people have the most sustainable way of life. So we must learn from them and not cast them aside in this war. We protect more than 80% of the planet’s biodiversity,” she explains.
Da Silva Maffioletti emphasizes that her people – their voices, experiences and ideas – must be the number one priority in the fight against climate change.
“This is not about tomorrow. This is not something for 10 years [from now]. Here is something for us to do right now. The climate crisis is affecting and killing everyone right now. So we have to act now,” she declared.
“We will not give up this fight. Mining companies, and even some wind energy projects, are not consulted [on] are affecting Mother Earth, our resources, our medicines,” said Yenilin Aurielen Lubo Bonivento, from the Guayu community in Colombia. UN News.
She comes from Guajira province in the northern part of the South American country, one of the regions hardest hit by climate change.
She is also a biologist and currently teaches young girls in her community about science.
“We need to speak up, and [draw on the] science, combined with the knowledge of our ancestors. This is the key to fighting climate change.”
COP27 Venue, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
Update on negotiations
Regarding negotiations, the President of COP27 Egypt on Wednesday reported that unfortunately many delegations are “holding” some negotiating rooms.
“We had hoped in the current circumstances to see more willingness to cooperate and accommodate than we see in the reports we received from the different negotiating lines. I [will] reserve judgment: perhaps some countries and delegations will show more openness and conciliation at the last minute,” Ambassador Wael Aboulgmagd, Special Representative of the COP27 President, told journalists.
He added that when negotiators were working through the agenda, which included ‘loss and damage’ for the first time, they only had a “breakthrough” at the last minute.
UN News spoke to Ruanna Hayes, negotiator from the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), who confirmed that discussions are not very hopeful at the moment.
“There is real concern about how things are going on a large scale. Of course, loss and damage is the key issue, the main outcome the Union is looking for from this COP, and things are not going anywhere yet,” she said.
Special Representative Aboulgmagd sent a message to the negotiators, reminding them that although every delegation must consider its national interest, the situation [of climate change] is catastrophic, as scientific reports show.
“I hope the delegations in the negotiating room keep this in mind and realize that they need to show progress, not in words but in action and execution,” he said.
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