Posted on November, 16 2018

Sharm-El-Sheikh, 15 November, 2018: The High Level Segment for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Conference (CBD CoP14) concluded today with the adoption of the Sharm-El-Sheikh declaration by the 196 Parties.
 
However, it is clear we are failing to address nature loss; WWF's recent Living Planet Report showed that biodiversity continues to decline, having devastating consequences for people and planet. Furthermore, it is now evident that most of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, set in 2010 to address some of the biggest environmental challenges we face and due in 2020, will not be achieved.
 
Global efforts to reverse nature loss have lacked urgency, political commitment and effective delivery so far. Protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity is fundamental to our health, well-being, economies, and continued and growing prosperity around the world.  CBD COP 14 is a critical window of opportunity to ramp up global efforts to halt biodiversity loss.
 
"WWF is calling for a Global Deal for Nature and People, which must reverse nature’s decline by 2030. A strong post-2020 global biodiversity framework must be a critical component of such a global deal,” said Ester Asin, Director of WWF’s European Policy Office.
 
“Strong EU leadership is essential, but for the EU to be taken seriously as a leader and champion, it has to also walk the talk domestically. It is true that we have some of the most stringent environmental standards and nature conservation laws in the world, but Europe’s nature is still declining.”
 
The EU risks missing its own target of halting the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2020. In fact, according to the ‘State of Nature in the EU’ report, a mere 23% of animal and plant species and 16% of habitat types protected under the Habitats Directive have a “favourable” conservation status.
 
“That’s just not good enough”, said Ester Asin “Member states must get serious about implementing the EU’s ambitious nature laws. But that alone is not enough: we must also ensure policy coherence across all those sectors affecting our biodiversity – from energy to agriculture, from finance to infrastructure development. Only if we mainstream nature conservation and climate change do we stand a chance of reverting the current devastating trends.”
 
While WWF welcomes the Sharm-El-Sheikh Declaration, we call for higher commitment to halt biodiversity loss. Implementation of individual multilateral environmental agreements have been suboptimal, lacking cohesion and accountability.  We support efforts to escalate the political relevance of biodiversity with a 2020 Heads of State Summit on Biodiversity provided that the political process at a ministerial level starts earlier. It also brings an opportunity for governments to reinforce their commitment to the well-being of people and the planet by submitting robust voluntary biodiversity contributions at the earliest.
 
WWF welcomes the launch of the Sharm-El-Sheikh to Beijing Nature Action Agenda where stakeholders from governments and businesses will come together to confirm commitments to halt the decline of biodiversity and restore nature for the benefit of people and the planet. We are committed to support this process.
 
WWF strongly supports the call for a New Deal for Nature and People - a deal where the highest levels of government, business and members of society work together for urgent, decisive global action to halt biodiversity loss. By 2020, just two years from now, we need an agreed roadmap that recognizes the intrinsic link between the health of nature, the well-being of people and the future of our planet.
 
      WWF’s expectation is that CBD COP14 concludes with a robust roadmap that is supported at the highest political level and delivers an ambitious New Deal for Nature and People in China in 2020. We need this New Deal, which protects and restores nature, to ensure a sustainable future for all.
 
-END-
 
For more information, contact:
Kanika Kohli | Media specialist | kkohli@wwfint.org | +32 484 02 79 82 or news@wwfint.org
 
About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries and territories. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.panda.org/news for the latest news and media resources and follow us on Twitter @WWF_media
 
Sharm-El-Sheikh, 15 November, 2018: The High Level Segment for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Conference (CBD CoP14) concluded today with the adoption of the Sharm-El-Sheikh declaration by the 196 Parties.
 
However, it is clear we are failing to address nature loss; WWF's recent Living Planet Report showed that biodiversity continues to decline, having devastating consequences for people and planet. Furthermore, it is now evident that most of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, set in 2010 to address some of the biggest environmental challenges we face and due in 2020, will not be achieved.
 
Global efforts to reverse nature loss have lacked urgency, political commitment and effective delivery so far. Protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity is fundamental to our health, well-being, economies, and continued and growing prosperity around the world.  CBD COP 14 is a critical window of opportunity to ramp up global efforts to halt biodiversity loss.
 
"WWF is calling for a Global Deal for Nature and People, which must reverse nature’s decline by 2030. A strong post-2020 global biodiversity framework must be a critical component of such a global deal,” said Ester Asin, Director of WWF’s European Policy Office.
 
“Strong EU leadership is essential, but for the EU to be taken seriously as a leader and champion, it has to also walk the talk domestically. It is true that we have some of the most stringent environmental standards and nature conservation laws in the world, but Europe’s nature is still declining.”
 
The EU risks missing its own target of halting the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2020. In fact, according to the ‘State of Nature in the EU’ report, a mere 23% of animal and plant species and 16% of habitat types protected under the Habitats Directive have a “favourable” conservation status.
 
“That’s just not good enough”, said Ester Asin “Member states must get serious about implementing the EU’s ambitious nature laws. But that alone is not enough: we must also ensure policy coherence across all those sectors affecting our biodiversity – from energy to agriculture, from finance to infrastructure development. Only if we mainstream nature conservation and climate change do we stand a chance of reverting the current devastating trends.”
 
While WWF welcomes the Sharm-El-Sheikh Declaration, we call for higher commitment to halt biodiversity loss. Implementation of individual multilateral environmental agreements have been suboptimal, lacking cohesion and accountability.  We support efforts to escalate the political relevance of biodiversity with a 2020 Heads of State Summit on Biodiversity provided that the political process at a ministerial level starts earlier. It also brings an opportunity for governments to reinforce their commitment to the well-being of people and the planet by submitting robust voluntary biodiversity contributions at the earliest.
 
WWF welcomes the launch of the Sharm-El-Sheikh to Beijing Nature Action Agenda where stakeholders from governments and businesses will come together to confirm commitments to halt the decline of biodiversity and restore nature for the benefit of people and the planet. We are committed to support this process.
 
WWF strongly supports the call for a New Deal for Nature and People - a deal where the highest levels of government, business and members of society work together for urgent, decisive global action to halt biodiversity loss. By 2020, just two years from now, we need an agreed roadmap that recognizes the intrinsic link between the health of nature, the well-being of people and the future of our planet.
 
      WWF’s expectation is that CBD COP14 concludes with a robust roadmap that is supported at the highest political level and delivers an ambitious New Deal for Nature and People in China in 2020. We need this New Deal, which protects and restores nature, to ensure a sustainable future for all.
 
-END-
 
For more information, contact:
Kanika Kohli | Media specialist | kkohli@wwfint.org | +32 484 02 79 82 or news@wwfint.org
 
About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries and territories. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.panda.org/news for the latest news and media resources and follow us on Twitter @WWF_media