Global call for world leaders to prioritise critical UN Biodiversity conference in Montreal and deliver an ambitious agreement that reverses nature loss by 2030 for a nature-positive world.
More than 350 leaders across all walks of life warned that world leaders must deliver an ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15 this December if mankind is to secure a nature-positive world this decade.
The leaders come from across science, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, faith, youth and business and express “deep concerns at the lack of ambition among government parties”.
According to a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) press release, the warning is backed by a new survey of more than 400 business, science, civil society and government leaders, launching on Biodiversity Day at COP27.
The survey reveals that despite national governments being considered the most important actors to lead the ‘Nature Agenda’, a lack of political support, policies, and incentives are causing significant barriers to progress in nature.
A distressing 88% of experts believe the state of the world’s nature to be ‘alarming’ or ‘catastrophic and potentially irreversible’, and only 1% view the state of nature in the world as ‘satisfactory’.
Most experts (61%) believe there is a societal failure to account for nature’s value.
Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International said that “the science has been very clear: human activities are driving accelerating biodiversity loss which in turn is undermining our ability to limit global warming to 1.5ºC”.
“Entire ecosystems are heading toward collapse, with devastating consequences for people and the planet.
“COP15 is a momentous opportunity to transition the global economy to one that works with nature, rather than against it.
“There's no more time to waste.
“Experts know it, business leaders know it, the public knows it,” he said.
Of the 400+ expert stakeholders surveyed, across the Global South and Global North, by global insights and advisory consultancy, GlobeScan, very few believe governments (7%) or the private sector (8%) are performing well in protecting nature.
Both national governments and the private sector are cited as not meeting expectations to act.
A majority of experts (55%) view government action to protect nature as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’, with the private sector at 61%.
Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research commented: “Evidence shows the potential to adapt to climate change is not limitless and cannot substitute for ambitious mitigation. To have a 50% chance of achieving 1.5°C and thus limiting tipping point risks, global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.”
This concern is echoed by civil society with 64% of individuals surveyed across 11 countries warning that the state of nature and biodiversity across the world is ‘alarming’ or ‘catastrophic’.
Almost two-thirds (65%) of the general public regularly worry that there will not be enough nature for future generations. Only two in 10 people agree that ‘economic development’ is more important than protecting nature.
Jennifer Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy, commented: “This new data reveals two things – first, people in every part of the world are concerned about nature loss and two, we are not doing enough.
“We must set the world on a safer climate path, and we must act now to reverse and halt biodiversity loss.
“From November to December of this year we have a rare moment where world leaders will convene twice to discuss these issues and we must use them wisely and be bold to go from promises to progress – from discourse to decisions.”
The survey also found six in ten (60%) of business, NGO, government and academic experts are at least partly optimistic about the potential for collective efforts to protect and restore nature.
A quarter (25%) of companies were found to be engaged with Science-based Targets for Nature, another quarter (24%) are considering this initiative, and a third (32%) are considering the Taskforce for Nature-Related Financial Disclosures.
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