High Level event for Nature and People: From Ambition to Action
 

CONCEPT NOTE

Background
The world is faced with a planetary emergency caused by interdependent crises including biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, increasing emergence and threats presented by pandemics of zoonotic origin, food insecurity and debt crises. The stakes could not be higher to secure continuity of all life on earth, and the current decade is decisive. In view of this urgency, a commitment to continued ambition and accelerated action at the highest level will be key to our success in reversing biodiversity loss and achieving a nature positive world by 2030. Without this, it will be impossible to achieve the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Over the past five years, leaders have recognised how fundamental nature is to livelihoods, the economy, and tackling other environmental crises, and have accordingly prioritized nature at the highest level. This has resulted in a number of recent crucial environmental decisions1 including the historic Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and an international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), both of which recognise the rights and crucial role of Indigenous Peoples in successful and sustainable implementation efforts. These decisions mark a crucial need to shift our global focus from raising ambition on tackling biodiversity loss, to actually delivering on our ambition; doing so will mean accelerating both financing and implementation on the ground.

This year, in the side-lines of the high level week of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC N&P), the Global Ocean Alliance (GOA), and the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature (LPN) are uniting once more to convene a high level event to demonstrate transformational actions to tackle biodiversity loss.

Event goal
Demonstrate momentum at the highest-level in rapidly translating ambition to halt and reverse biodiversity loss into tangible and impactful actions. The event will present an opportunity for a number of ambitious countries and non-state actors to showcase domestic and international actions, both on land and in the ocean, to ensure successful implementation of biodiversity agreements, including the GBF and BBNJ.

Announcements to be showcased and threshold for participation Building on the success and participation of past events at previous LPN/HAC for N&P/GOA UNGA side events, participation will be prioritized for governments and non-state actors who can commit to swift signature, ratification and implementation of the BBNJ Agreement and/or showcase specific, concrete, meaningful and transformational actions to implement the goals and targets of
the GBF.

As with previous years, event organizers are keen to focus on actions to implement the objectives of the LPN, HAC for N&P and GOA, in particular around increasing resource mobilization from all sources and repurposing current harmful incentives (including subsidies), and conserving and protecting at least 30% of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030.

Organizers
The event is organised by the HAC N&P, LPN and GOA, and is co-hosted by a cross regional group of countries including Belize, Bhutan, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, European Union, France, Germany, Nigeria, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, as well as their partners: Bloomberg Philanthropies Ocean Initiative, BirdLife International, Campaign for Nature, Capitals Coalition, COP28, Club of Rome, Conservation International, Enduring Earth, Nature for Life hub, Nature Positive Initiative, The Nature Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Small Island Developing States Coalition for Nature, UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Wyss Foundation.

Format and attendance
This will be a short interactive, high level VVIP invitation only event in person in New York, live streamed for a larger audience on multiple channels. Given space and security restrictions a limited number of people will be able to attend the event, and priority will be given to a wide and representative audience at the highest level, with governments from all regions, stakeholders and rights holders from across society.

Watch via livestream: https://vimeo.com/event/3662185