15 December 2022
On behalf of the 193 Member States of the United Nations, I would like to express gratitude to China for accompanying us, guiding us and leading us through this long journey of negotiations and preparations. As well as for Canada, for hosting us today.
Mr. Minister, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is not a gathering to save the Earth.
We are here to save ourselves, our sons and daughters, and many generations to come.
With lifeless oceans, rivers, empty mountains and deserts, the Earth will survive – but our civilization may not.
The objective is simple and straight: we need net positive progress to save all life on Earth.
The Global Biodiversity Framework must be implemented to deliver more nature at the end of this decade than at the start.
I call on scientists, negotiators and decision-makers: maintain your ambition for harmony.
Not harmony with nature. We are part of nature. It should be harmony in nature, to where we belong.
I urge you to keep crisis management and transformation in mind.
We must learn from our failure to reach the Aichi targets.
GBF should yield quantum leaps in global biodiversity governance and cooperation.
I call upon you to agree on a strong science-based follow-up mechanism at COP15.
For moving forward, I suggest four directions:
First, take a human rights-based approach to the issues of biodiversity loss.
I summon governments, civil society, the private sector, the international finance institutions to embed human rights into their guidelines and operations.
We all should respect, protect and fulfil these rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and especially the rights of those in vulnerable situations, indigenous peoples and local communities.
Second, address the economic drivers behind so-called “biodiversity negative” behaviours. Chief among them: our unsustainable habits.
Our greed. Our selfishness. Our short-sightedness, the global myopia.
I encourage you to tackle the root causes of biodiversity loss by transforming the ways we produce, consume, trade, transport.
We also need radical changes to what we subsidize or and incentivize.
I urge governments to end harmful subsidies – especially for fossil fuels, non-sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
Instead, governments should guide businesses to invest in transformation towards circular economy.
I implore global businesses to shoulder social responsibility by mainstreaming biodiversity into their strategies and value chains.
Yes, starting from disclosing their dependency and impact on nature.
Third, prioritize solidarity in financing and capacity building.
The financial flows into nature-based solutions must be doubled every year by 2025 to deal with today’s interlocking global crises.
To succeed, GBF will need a comprehensive resource mobilization package that markedly increases biodiversity financing flow to low- and middle-income nations.
I call on countries to provide new contributions on funding, capacity-building, and biodiversity-friendly technologies.
Fourth, we need reliable new metrics and measurement tools for verification.
How can we justify the full spectrum of our steps – or certify our progress – without a set of accurate metrics to measure the gains and losses of the natural world?
We will have to transform national and global accounting systems, so they reflect the true cost of economic activities on natural capital.
That would put an end to the “greenwashing”.
Excellencies,
The discussions and outcome of COP15 will feed into various processes launching in the General Assembly.
In New York, preparations are underway for the UN Water Conference, a series of high-level meetings and dialogues, and, most importantly, the SDG Summit.
I count on you to bring biodiversity – and GBF implementation! – to the General Assembly Hall, to our summit meetings.
Dear Friends,
It is high time we rose to the challenge of saving ourselves.
We have a second bite at the apple. Let’s not miss our chance to get this right.
Thank you very much.
