Businesses have joined the growing coalition of voices calling for action on nature in 2020. With human activities destabilizing our climate and pushing nature to the brink, urgent and unprecedented action is needed to halt and reverse the loss of nature and secure a sustainable future for people and planet.
With environmental issues dominating discussion at the 50th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), leaders from government, business and civil society met last night in Davos at a WWF and WEF event to recognise the critical importance of nature as the foundation of our society and economies, and chart the actions needed to place it on the path to recovery.
The message was clear: nature loss poses enormous risks to the global economy and to humanity, and we must act now to turn things around. With world leaders set to take critical decisions on the environment, climate and development, 2020 offers a momentous opportunity to secure a New Deal for Nature and People.
Dr Johan Rockström, Director of Potsdam Inst. for Climate Impact Research, who spoke at the event, said "We have scientific evidence that we are at the point of being in a planetary emergency. We have agreed: zero net loss of nature from 2020, to be net positive by 2030; and a full recovery by 2050."
Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International, said: “We are losing nature at a catastrophic and dangerous level, putting people, businesses and our economy at risk. This cannot continue. In 2020, governments and businesses must commit to halt and reverse the loss of nature. Conserving nature is also crucial to achieve our climate change goals. We need a New Deal For Nature and People that places nature at the heart of our society and economy, putting our civilization on course towards a safe, just and truly sustainable future."
"We are losing nature too fast. We need a global compass for nature to be agreed in 2020 by governments and business, as we did for climate in Paris."
— WWF 🐼 (@WWF) January 24, 2020
- Marco Lambertini, Director General WWF#WEF20 #NewDealForNature & People pic.twitter.com/e3N1P2mFYh
Prominent figures like Al Gore and leaders from government, business and the development and environment sectors came together to unite behind the science. To secure a sustainable future for all, and help stop runaway global warming, we need to set strong and science-based targets on nature. The world must commit to zero net loss of nature from 2020, ensure nature is in recovery by 2030, and full recovery by 2050.
WWF is also encouraging businesses to join Business for Nature, a global coalition of companies that have committed to reduce their impact on nature. Davos saw an increasing number of businesses join the community calling for a New Deal for Nature and People in 2020.
