Politicians and environmental leaders from more than 180 countries have been in Vancouver, B.C., this week, with many pledging to accelerate action on climate change and biodiversity loss at the assembly of the Global Environment Facility.
The organization manages a series of funds aimed at helping developing countries meet their climate goals, such as those established by the Paris Agreement, which sets a target of limiting global heating to 害羞草研究所渨ell below害羞草研究所� 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.
Facility CEO Carlos Manuel Rodriguez said the need to accelerate action is more urgent than ever, as disasters linked to global heating devastate communities worldwide, including wildfires ravaging British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
害羞草研究所淭he climate and biodiversity crisis is not something that is going to happen later this century, in 25 years,害羞草研究所� Rodriguez said in an interview ahead of the assembly, the seventh since his organization launched in 1991.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚happening right now. Look outside your window,害羞草研究所� he said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the assembly ahead of its close Friday, saying Canada is experiencing its worst-ever wildfire season and 害羞草研究所渃limate change is key to the story.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淣o one country, no one people can pretend anymore that what happens or doesn害羞草研究所檛 happen on the other side of the world doesn害羞草研究所檛 matter to them,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said. 害羞草研究所淎nd not just 害羞草研究所榙oesn害羞草研究所檛 matter害羞草研究所� even in an abstract way, but 害羞草研究所榙oesn害羞草研究所檛 matter害羞草研究所� in a concrete, affect-your-daily-lives way.害羞草研究所�
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Canada害羞草研究所檚 minister of environment and climate change, Steven Guilbeault, likewise said the wildfires that have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes serve as an 害羞草研究所渦nwanted reminder of the need to act together with urgency.害羞草研究所�
The minister made the remarks Wednesday as he opened a meeting with several dozen of his counterparts from around the world in Squamish, B.C., to discuss progress, challenges and opportunities in implementing the global biodiversity framework struck at the United Nations meeting in Montr茅al last December.
害羞草研究所淭he climate change we害羞草研究所檙e seeing is with 1 degree Celsius,害羞草研究所� he said, referring to the level or warming that害羞草研究所檚 already occurred since the Industrial Revolution.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 want to see a world where we get to 2 degrees Celsius, what the impacts will be in Canada and around the world,害羞草研究所� Guilbeault said in an interview.
害羞草研究所淭herefore, we need to continue, and even accelerate,害羞草研究所� he said.
Guilbeault along with Ahmed Hussen, the federal minister of international development, announced Thursday that Canada would be the first country to make a public pledge in support of a fund launched during this week害羞草研究所檚 assembly.
Canada has earmarked $200 million for the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund set up to help finance the implementation of the agreement struck in Montr茅al, which aims to put nature on path to recovery by the end of the decade.
害羞草研究所淭his is the start of a long climb,害羞草研究所� Guilbeault told the news conference.
害羞草研究所淲e will keep working with our international partners to mobilize $20 billion per year by 2025 and $30 billion by 2030 in financial resources for biodiversity,害羞草研究所� he said.
The United Kingdom has also pledged more than C$17 million.
Hussen noted the assembly has agreed for the first time to allocate 20 per cent of the new fund to Indigenous-led initiatives aimed at protecting biodiversity.
Canada is also adding $22.8 million to its earlier $219-million commitment to overall funding for the Global Environmental Facility, Hussen said.
Biodiversity and ecosystems underpin human health, well-being and economic growth, but biodiversity loss has reached 害羞草研究所渃ritical levels,害羞草研究所� he said.
Canada is among 40 states that have contributed money over the last 30 years, helping the organization provide $23 billion in fundingand facilitate more than five times that amount in co-financing for 5,000 projects in developing countries.
But Rodriguez said accelerating concrete action to address the crisis requires a 害羞草研究所減aradigm shift害羞草研究所� in how decisions are made and how funding is distributed in order to empower civil society害羞草研究所� especially youth, women, Indigenous Peoples and others often sidelined in international climate negotiations and domestic policy-making.
害羞草研究所淭here is a consensus that if we don害羞草研究所檛 incorporatecivil society and (the) private sector, there won害羞草研究所檛 be time to really be on track on climate and biodiversity,害羞草研究所� said Rodriguez, who previously served as Costa Rica害羞草研究所檚 environment minister.
The Global Environment Facility has so far worked mainly with political executives whose approval is required for civil society groups to receive any funding, he said.
But addressing the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution demand a more inclusive, 害羞草研究所渨hole of society害羞草研究所� approach, Rodriguez said.
The assembly in Vancouver marks the starting point for that new model, he told an opening press conference on Wednesday, where he called on donors to 害羞草研究所渞edouble害羞草研究所� funding that害羞草研究所檚 expected to flow directly to civil society groups for the first time.
害羞草研究所淔or the last 15 years we害羞草研究所檝e been talking and talking about inclusion, about the relevance of non-state actors, about the role of civil society,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview.
害羞草研究所淏ut we never put the money behind the talk.害羞草研究所�
Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
