#Leaders’ Pledge for Nature

64 WORLD LEADERS COMMIT TO REVERSE NATURE LOSS BY 2030

Heads of State and Government from 64 countries, including the leaders of five of the world's largest economies, have today (28th September 2020) endorsed the #Leaders' Pledge for Nature, committing to decisive action to reverse nature loss by the end of the decade.

The Pledge, is a direct response to our escalating Planetary Emergency and the need for urgent and immediate global action to address our interdependent biodiversity, climate and health crises. Coming a couple of days ahead of the UN Summit on Biodiversity in New York, where for the first time, more than 116 Heads of State and Government have requested to speak, it sends a strong, united signal that together we must step up and act.

As part of the pledge, the 64 leaders have committed to support 10 urgent actions, including ensuring COVID-19 response is green and just, putting nature and biodiversity at the heart of recovery and development; ending 'silo thinking': addressing biodiversity loss, land, fresh water, oceans deforestation, pollution and climate in an integrated and coherant way; raising ambition on climate policies; tackling environmental crimes, strengthening enforcement and acting along entire supply chains; eliminating unsustainable uses of the ocean, increasing the protection of the planet's land and ocean; reducing deforestation; eliminating environmentally harmful subsidies; raising ambition on climate policies; strengthening financial systems to account for the value of nature and biodiversity; and committing to inclusive policies that recognize the crucial role of traditional and indigenous knowledge as well as modern science and research.

Marco Labertini, Director General of WWF-International, said, "The Leaders' Pledge for Nature marks a pivotal moment with countries demonstrating real leadership from the highest political level and committing to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030." He calls on all leaders to build on this ambition at the forthcoming Summit on Biodiversity, with this years theme of 'Urgent action on biodiversity for sustainable development', to develop and agree a shared plan.

Watch the short film here:-

Current endorsers of the pledge are as follows:-

Andorra, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, The Gambia, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom.