Over 60 countries promise measures for climate and wildlife in post-Covid recovery plans

September 27, 2020

In the 'Leaders' Pledge for Nature', launched virtually in New York today, they have committed to a 10-point plan, which includes measures such as transitioning to sustainable food production, the ending of environmentally harmful subsidies, stopping unsustainable fisheries and reducing deforestation.The announcement of the pledge comes in advance of a UN biodiversity summit, taking place on 30 September. The pledge reads, “We are in a state of planetary emergency: the interdependent crises of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and climate change - driven in large part by unsustainable production and consumption - require urgent and immediate global action. Science clearly shows that biodiversity loss, land and ocean degradation, pollution, resource depletion and climate change are accelerating at an unprecedented rate. This acceleration is causing irreversible harm to our life support systems and aggravating poverty and inequalities as well as hunger and malnutrition. Unless halted and reversed with immediate effect, it will cause significant damage to global economic, social and political resilience and stability and will render
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals impossible...."
“A transformative change is needed: we cannot simply carry on as before.”...
"In endorsing this Pledge for Nature, we commit ourselves not simply to words, but to meaningful action and mutual accountability to address the planetary emergency. It marks a turning point, and comes with an explicit recognition that we will be judged now and by future generations on our willingness and ability to meet its aims."
At Wednesday's UN Biodiversity Summit, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will commit to protecting a further 400,000 hectares of land to support the recovery of nature. He will say that countries must turn "words into action" and "agree ambitious goals and binding targets".
It is important that words are indeed turned into action, as previous targets have not been backed by sufficient action, leading to the crisis that we now face.

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