Media Release: Global Coalition for Biodiversity Launched on World Wildlife Day 2020

Media Release

Issued by the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) at noon CET on World Wildlife Day, 3 March 2020

Global Coalition for Biodiversity Launched on World Wildlife Day 2020

Zoos, Aquariums, National Parks, Museums, Botanical Gardens

‘United for Biodiversity’

In the context of the 2020 ‘Super Year for Nature’, the IPBES secretariat welcomes the formation of the ‘United for #Biodiversity’ coalition, made up of zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, national parks, and natural history and science museums from around the world, launched on this World Wildlife Day by the European Commission.

The coalition offers the opportunity for all such institutions to “join forces and boost public awareness about the nature crisis, ahead of the crucial COP-15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, China in October 2020,” when nations will adopt a new global framework to protect and restore nature.

“These organisations are vital not only for cataloguing and preserving the natural world, but are indispensable and invaluable centres for education and mobilisation – particularly for young leaders and decision-makers of the future,” said IPBES Executive Secretary Anne Larigauderie.

“There has never been a point in human history where the state of nature has been so degraded, and the decisions we make about nature today have never been as critical. Creating a sustainable future means facing the twin threats of climate change and biodiversity loss head on – informed by the best available evidence and science.”

“I applaud the United for Biodiversity coalition for placing the nature crisis front and centre. Every person has an important part to play in the transformative change we need for people and nature.”

Echoing the IPBES Global Assessment findings on transformative change, the European Commission “encourages national, regional, and local authorities, non-governmental organisations, business, scientists and individual citizens to play their part in raising awareness ahead of the UN Biodiversity summit.”

The European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginius Sinkevičius said, “It is crucial that all of us learn just how real the nature crisis has become. We urgently need to take global action to protect and restore biodiversity. Otherwise much of the nature we love, and depend on for our food, health, and economy, is in danger of disappearing forever.”

The coalition has adopted a common pledge, citing the IPBES Global Assessment finding that 1 million species are already at risk of extinction, and appeals to visitors to each of their institutions to “raise their voice for nature.”

The text of the pledge is reproduced below.

Please contact [email protected] for further details.

Text of Pledge

UNITED FOR #BIODIVERSITY
WE,
WORLD NATIONAL PARKS, AQUARIUMS, BOTANIC GARDENS, ZOOS, NATURAL
HISTORY AND SCIENCE MUSEUMS,
JOIN FORCES FOR NATURE.
OUR COLLECTIONS SHOW THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE ON EARTH.
OUR CONSERVATION PROGRAMMES HELP PRESERVE ENDANGERED ANIMALS
AND PLANTS.
OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMMES UNDERLINE THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE FOR
OUR EXISTENCE.
TODAY THE WORLD IS FACING A PLANETARY EMERGENCY,
A NATURE CRISIS FUELED BY HUMAN IMPACTS, INCLUDING CLIMATE CHANGE.
SCIENCE IS WARNING THAT ONE MILLION SPECIES ARE AT RISK OF EXTINCTION,
NOT IN A DISTANT FUTURE, BUT WITHIN A FEW DECADES.
AS SIGNATORIES TO THIS COALITION, WE SUPPORT THE CALL
BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
FOR DECISIVE GLOBAL ACTION TO HALT BIODIVERSITY LOSS.
WE URGE ALL GOVERNMENTS TO AGREE ON AMBITIOUS POLICIES TO RESTORE
AND PROTECT THE ECOSYSTEMS ON WHICH WE ALL DEPEND.
WE INVITE ALL NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO TAKE URGENT
MEASURES ON THE GROUND.
WE CALL ON ALL BUSINESS LEADERS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR DEPENDENCE
AND IMPACT ON NATURE AND TO COMMIT TO SUSTAINABILITY.
AND WE APPEAL TO ALL OUR VISITORS TO RAISE THEIR VOICE FOR NATURE.
WE BELONG TO NATURE, WE NEED NATURE, AND NATURE NOW NEEDS US LIKE
NEVER BEFORE.

Note to Editors:
IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body, established by member States in 2012. It provides
policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the state of knowledge regarding the planet’s
biodiversity, ecosystems and the benefits they provide to people, as well as the tools and methods to
protect and sustainably use these vital natural assets. To some extent IPBES does for biodiversity what
the IPCC does for climate change.

To access the Summary for Policymakers of the IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services, go to http://bit.ly/GlobalAssessmentReport

ENQUIRIES:
IPBES Media
[email protected]
www.ipbes.net