The ever-increasing need to protect and restore biodiversity worldwide

The loss of biodiversity worldwide is a major contributor to climate change, and the need for conservation and restoration will play a key role in limiting global warming to 1.5°C under the Paris Agreement. Nature and biodiversity will once again be firmly on the COP28 agenda and the need to agree on global targets in this area to help tackle climate change.

It has already been announced that Brazil plans to propose a fund to pay for the protection of tropical forests at COP28. If it comes to fruition, it would be another major step forward following the launch of the new Global Framework Fund for Biodiversity, which aims to increase investment in nature and support indigenous communities in developing and small island countries around the world, as well as the UN. request contributions to help protect 30 % of land and coastal areas by 2030.

One aspect of COP28 that focuses on biodiversity is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which will host a 'Unite for Nature' pavilion in the COP28 Blue Zone and provide a platform to showcase the Union's collective work. is currently performing. There is hope that since COP27 and last year's UN Conference on Biodiversity the momentum can be sustained with continued progress towards protecting and restoring ecosystems.

The Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership was launched at COP27 to help accelerate the commitment made at COP26 to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation. This year we will want financial packages to help fund plans from countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to stop deforestation. Nature-based solutions can significantly contribute to climate change mitigation and work with nature to regenerate and restore ecosystems.

If COP28 can reach agreements on more specific goals and measures to protect nature and biodiversity, it will be a huge success for the summit. This is something I am optimistic about as one of the four focus areas of COP28 is "Focusing on Nature, People, Lives and Livelihoods". This includes helping the most vulnerable communities adapt to the effects of climate change that are already occurring and working with them to achieve solutions that are sustainable for the future. (lexology.com)