The One Planet Summit for Biodiversity on Monday 11th January will bring together heads of state and government as well as leaders of international organizations, financial institutions, the business sector and NGOs, to make commitments for concrete action to preserve and restore biodiversity, to make strong new announcements and to launch transformational initiatives for nature.
An initiative of the President of France, OPS's ambition will be to mobilise political will in the international discourse leading up to COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and help foster conditions for agreement on an ambitious post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. It is intended to be an opportunity to raise the level of ambition of the international community on the protection of nature, while responding to the new questions raised by the current global health crisis.
Reversing the trend of biodiversity loss is a major challenge for the coming decade. It is a social and economic challenge that requires a profound transformation of value chains, business models and patterns of human behaviour and consumption. This challenge requires concerted action across sectors of society at all levels (international, national, local).
Minister Noonan’s attendance at the event is another positive demonstration of Ireland’s commitment to nature and biodiversity. The Minister said,
“I am pleased to be in a position to take part in this initiative by our new nearest EU neighbour, France. I look forward to the opportunity to gather, if only virtually, with other policy makers and decision makers as we continue to prepare for the next Conference of the Parties to the CBD. Events such as the OPS help maintain the momentum for an ambitious and transformative agreement to be reached at the COP and bolster global efforts to reverse the trend of biodiversity loss.”
The Minister added, “The current health crisis posed by Covid-19 has challenged the scope and ability of countries to act collectively for nature and biodiversity. It has also, however, led to a re-evaluation of humanity’s relationship with nature, particularly in the context of how future zoonotic pandemics can be avoided. Facing up to and addressing the damaging loss of biodiversity is vital if we are to do this. These challenges need to be part of our discussions in the development of a durable and effective post-2020 Global Framework for Biodiversity.”
The OPS will also see the launch of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. This coalition, chaired jointly by France and Costa Rica, aims to further mobilise international political will for an ambitious and transformative agreement at the CBD COP15.
Ireland’s participation in the HAC will be confirmed at the OPS and the Minister noted that “I am delighted to announce that Ireland will be the latest participant in the High Ambition Coalition. The HAC brings together 50 diverse countries as well as the EU, in support of nature and biodiversity and to promote future efforts to create momentum towards the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.”
Notes for the Editor:
OPS website: https://www.oneplanetsummit.fr/en
- OPS Agenda: Four key themes for the preservation of life have been chosen
The protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems is an essential pillar of action in favour of biodiversity. Protected areas, and the conservation of the species that live there, play a key role in the protection and restoration of biodiversity and will be a determining factor in achieving a reversal of the current trend.
The promotion of agro-ecology makes it possible to protect the diversity of ecosystems by reducing pollution while allowing more job creation and acting for food security. The summit will focus on accelerating the implementation of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel.
The mobilization of funding for biodiversity is committed, particularly with new commitments of innovative funding and initiatives to direct more public and private investment towards projects for the protection, sustainable management and restoration of ecosystems or the necessary convergence of public funding for climate and biodiversity.
Finally, the link between deforestation, species and human health is in the spotlight. The summit will make it possible to work better together to prevent future pandemics, through the fight against deforestation and the prevention of risks related to our contact with wild species.
- High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People
The HAC is an intergovernmental group of like-minded countries, chaired jointly by France and Costa Rica, established to help achieve an ambitious deal for nature at the next COP of the CBD (COP15).
The HAC aims to achieve the following goals:
- An agreement to protect at least 30% of the planet’s lands and seas by 2030 at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
- To promote nature-based solutions within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COPs in 2021.
- Other common grounds on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework that will be adopted at COP15, in particular the implementation framework.
To this end, it commits to promoting future efforts and endeavors to create momentum towards the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.