The world is currently facing three major crises – loss of biodiversity, climate change and the pandemic. It has become clear how interrelated they are, often with the same causes and solutions. Critical decisions for safeguarding biodiversity the world community will have to take at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15 CBD) at the end of the year Kunming, China. Already 52 countries have joined the newly-launched High Ambition Coalition for People and Nature (HAC) initiated by France and Costa Rica with the target to reach an agreement of 30% protected areas worldwide by 2030.
RiffReporter – a recommended source of German-language independent journalism on topics including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – published a recent article which highlights the rationale for the HAC which was launched at the One Planet Summit hosted by Emanuel Macron on 11th January. At the summit, a large number of leaders spoke about the need for and their support for biodiversity protection. For example, Ursula van der Leyen expressed the EU’s commitment (see also EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030) by comparing the importance of an ambitious 30% target and agreement in Kunming with the Paris Agreement in 2015. Angela Merkel also announced Germany’s commitment and support for the HAC and the One Health agenda which recognises that healthy people can only survive on a healthy planet.
Besides the 30% protected areas target, the HAC aims to ensure a fairer distribution of benefits from the use of natural resources / environmental services and more stringent management of the implementation and enforcement of commitments. More information about the HAC and details of the COP15 in Kunming can be found here (article in German).
As a support organisation to the UN/CBD protected area targets, LT&C is dedicated to helping the implementation of the 30% target on the ground by promoting cooperation between tourism and nature conservation. We expect that many more LT&C-Examples will be found and created by our members, where tourism is supporting the establishment or positive development of protected areas. Learning from those excellent examples and providing In Germany, a new partnership with Nationale Naturlandschaften aims to create opportunities for cross-sectoral partnerships designed to increase the quality of protected areas through innovative financing, political and educational approaches. LT&C Membership is open to all organisations and individuals interested in joining our global community of practitioners.
Julia Rawlins
