This summer has provided us with a foretaste of what lies ahead. As temperatures continue to rise, extreme weather events - like those seen in recent weeks - will increase in frequency and severity, putting us all at risk. And while the climate emergency is becoming ever more acute, another crisis is unravelling simultaneously: the destruction of nature.
Today, the global rate of species extinction is at least tens - potentially hundreds - of times higher than what the average has been over the past 10 million years. Half of the world’s agricultural land is degraded, desertification is occurring at unprecedented scale, and the state of our ocean is dire. The destruction of nature has severe implications for economic, political, and social stability and resilience.
The crises of climate and nature are closely linked, and one cannot be overcome without addressing the other. International conferences taking place over the next few months - COP26, the UN’s biodiversity summit, the UN’s summit to combat desertification, and the UN Food Systems Summit - are crucial for accelerating action.
The 15th event in the COP26 Diplomatic Briefing Series focuses on the interlinkages between climate change and the destruction of nature. It will address questions like:
- How can the nature and climate crises be addressed simultaneously?
- What role do and can nature-based solutions play?
- What would success look like at upcoming climate and environmental summits, and how can synergies between these conferences be strengthened?
This event is open to any diplomat or government official. If you wish to attend please e-mail Anna Aberg ([email protected]).
Participants
Chair: Dr Helen Harwatt, Senior Research Fellow, Environment and Society Programme, Chatham House
Prof. Dr Hamdallah Zedan, Advisor to the Minister of Environment for Egypt’s presidency of CoP14
Isabel Hilton, Founder and Senior Advisor, China Dialogue Trust
Helen Ågren, Ambassador for the Ocean, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden
