Developed nations urged to fund nature conservation

Developed countries need to assist with securing an at-scale, predictable and appropriate funding stream for nature conservation and protection of biodiversity, says Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy.

“We must re-emphasise that 17 of the major biodiverse countries in the world are developing countries. Accordingly, the ambitious targets to preserve our planet will be meaningless unless they are backed with enabling means of implementation for developing countries,” Creecy said on Friday.

She was addressing the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial meeting in India.

“Land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change are interlinked global environmental problems. Twenty-thirty (2030) is a significant milestone for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality as one of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

“We welcome the ongoing discussions under the Indian Presidency, as well as past Presidencies, and look forward to further collaboration including through the implementation of the G20 Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats,” the Minister said.

She said South Africa’s mega-biodiversity is both a national and cultural asset and a source of socio-economic development its citizens through the sustainable use of a wide variety of plants, marine living organisms and wildlife.

“This year our government adopted the White Paper on the Sustainable use of South Africa’s Biological Diversity, which outlines four strategic goals of conservation, sustainable use, equitable sharing of benefits and transformation.

“We regard this white paper as our own strategy to implement Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). In December last year, the international community adopted the landmark Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

“A key decision has been the adoption the ambitious 30 by 30 goal which science tells us is necessary to preserve biodiversity, ecosystems and indeed human life itself,” she said.

The Ministerial meeting will consider recommendations prepared by senior officials in the G20’s Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG).

The Indian G20 Presidency has focused on three priority issues under the ECSWG, namely:

• Arresting land degradation and accelerating ecosystem restoration via an ecosystem-based approach, and enriching biodiversity;
• Promoting a sustainable and climate-resilient blue economy to protect the natural environment and the lives and livelihoods dependent on marine resources;
• Encouraging resource efficiency and circular economy to move towards sustainable production and consumption systems.

– SAnews.gov.za