A statement by the Campaign for Nature’s Global Steering Committee
June 17, 2020 – Ranging from former heads of state to former foreign ministers and diplomats, we have come together to serve as the Global Steering Committee for the Campaign for Nature. We come from regions around the world and are united by the belief that the destruction of the natural world is an urgent issue for our economies, our health, and the overall wellbeing of mankind.
Specifically, we have formed this group with the overarching purpose of calling on world leaders to support a new global goal to protect at least 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030. Scientists are telling us that this is the minimum amount needed to halt global biodiversity loss, which threatens up to one million species with extinction and is considered by the World Economic Forum to be one of the top five risks facing the global economy.
We believe that the issue of land and marine conservation is timelier than ever. The coronavirus pandemic has further underscored the need to protect more of the natural world, as studies have shown that the destruction of nature increases the risk of infectious disease outbreaks.
We also believe that nature conservation must both be a core element of the economic rescue plans that global leaders are developing to respond to the emerging global recession, and a cornerstone of creating a resilient new economy.
We would like to call world leaders’ attention to a new report that found that protected areas and the local communities that depend on them for their livelihoods are well positioned for financial support through stimulus packages, and yet thus far they have been overlooked by stimulus discussions.
We would like to endorse the report’s findings and urge countries around the world to urgently invest in nature conservation for several reasons:
- To prevent local communities worldwide associated with protected areas from collapsing into prolonged poverty, unemployment and depression;
- To prevent protected areas from being further exploited by wildlife poaching and illegal logging and mining – the assets of the protected areas’ business;
- To create jobs and economic activity, including through restoration and by providing a safety net to nature-based tourism, which was one of the fastest growing sectors before the pandemic;
- To safeguard the huge contributions that nature makes to the global economy (more than half of the world’s GDP depends on nature);
- To fight against climate change, as nature-based solutions are recognized as key to meeting climate goals and can deliver near-term and long-term economic benefits;
- To help recover crucial biodiversity and critical ecosystems; and
- To guard against future pandemics.
We are living at a pivotal moment in world history, and we are motivated by the opportunity for all countries to work together, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, as a global community to invest in nature for the benefit of all people and societies.
Russ Feingold, Former US Senator and former Special Envoy to Great Lakes Region of Africa
Hailemariam Desalegn, Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary UNFCCC
José María Figueres, Former President of Costa Rica
Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, Former President of Iceland
Zakri Abdul Hamid, Former Science Advisor to Prime Minister of Malaysia
Ernest Bai Koroma, Former President of Sierra Leone
Tzipi Livni, Former Foreign Minister of Israel
Susana Malcorra, Former Foreign Minister of Argentina
Amre Moussa, Former Foreign Minister of Egypt
Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of Nigeria
Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland
Emil Salim, Former Environmental Minister of Indonesia
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia
Yongyuth Yuthavong, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
Congresswoman Deb Haaland (Honorary Member)
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PRESS RELEASE
EMBARGOED: Wednesday, June 17 17:00 CEST, 16:00 BST 11:00 EDST
New Group of World Leaders Representing 16 Countries:
Our Economic Recovery Won’t Succeed Unless We Invest in Nature
Launched today, the principal aim of the Campaign for Nature’s Global Steering Committee– composed of former heads of state, foreign ministers and diplomats from four continents–is to call on governments worldwide to support a new global goal to protect at least 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030, shown by scientists to be the minimum amount needed to halt global biodiversity loss. The Committee is led by former US Senator and former Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa Russ Feingold.
In a joint statement marking its launch, the Global Steering Committee urges world leaders to invest in nature as a core element of economic recovery plans. They argue that the benefits of protected areas, often overlooked, make them worthy of stimulus support. Among their range of benefits, protected areas stave off poverty, provide key wildlife habitat, generate jobs, fight climate change and guard against future pandemics. They are also critical to ending the mass extinction of the plants, animals and microorganisms that keep our air clean, our water pure and our food supplies plentiful.
Their statement is rooted in the findings of a new report, also launched today by the Campaign for Nature. “A Key Sector Forgotten in the Stimulus Debate: the Nature-Based Economy” lays out the reasons why governments must funnel stimulus support to protected areas and the communities that both protect them and depend on them.
Members of the Campaign for Nature’s Global Steering Committee have issued the following statements:
Russ Feingold, Former US Senator and former Special Envoy to Great Lakes Region of Africa, said:
“Nature conservation should be a central element of any stimulus and recovery plan. By protecting more nature, governments around the world can simultaneously create jobs, avoid long-term costs associated with climate change and biodiversity loss, and help guard against future pandemics.”
Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland, said:
“We will not reach the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement without fully embracing nature-based solutions and protecting at least 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030.”
Tzipi Livni, Former Foreign Minister of Israel, said:
“Humanity can advance without leaving destructive footsteps on our nature. The fact that we are rapidly destroying nature around the world is not just a risk to wildlife, but to our societies and economies. Significantly increasing the amount of land and ocean that we protect and restore should be a part of any plan to help communities heal and recover from our current crisis.”
H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma, Former President of Sierra Leone, said:
“Throughout the world, and certainly across Africa, local communities around protected areas are suffering and need help. Jobs have been lost, and revenue that is used to support services like health care and education is drying up. It’s obvious that Mother Earth is hurting and we’re all feeling the pain. Governments around the world should therefore step up now to support these protected areas and communities, for our own good.”
Congresswoman Deb Haaland said:
“The goal of protecting 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean should also apply to the United States. Protecting more land and water across our country will create new jobs, increase access to the outdoors for underserved communities, protect Indigenous lands, and preserve the spectacular landscapes that reflect America’s character and diverse cultures.”
Yongyuth Yuthavong, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, said:
“The rampant destruction of nature is increasing the risk of pandemics. We must protect more of the natural world as part of a strategy to guard against the spread of infectious diseases.”
Zakri Abdul Hamid, Former Science Advisor to Prime Minister of Malaysia, said:
“Malaysia is home to some of the world’s most spectacular biodiversity. Our government should embrace the goal of protecting at least 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean and serve as an example of how investing in nature can help prevent future pandemics and create healthier communities.”
Susana Malcorra, Former Foreign Minister of Argentina, said:
“To help our economic recovery, we should look to nature. Investing in protected areas and restoration would create more jobs than other industries more commonly discussed in stimulus plans, including the oil and gas industry. Better prioritizing nature conservation is also a key step in building a more sustainable and resilient world.”
H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, said:
“Africa is perfectly positioned to show the world the importance of protected areas and the need to protect at least 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean. When adequately funded, protected areas improve the wellbeing of local communities and serve as home to the world’s most remarkable wildlife. Nature is our greatest asset, and we must take better care of it now in order to take better care of ourselves.”
List of Steering Committee Members:
Russ Feingold, Former US Senator and former Special Envoy to Great Lakes Region of Africa
Hailemariam Desalegn, Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary UNFCCC
José María Figueres, Former President of Costa Rica
Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, Former President of Iceland
Zakri Abdul Hamid, Former Science Advisor to Prime Minister of Malaysia
Ernest Bai Koroma, Former President of Sierra Leone
Tzipi Livni, Former Foreign Minister of Israel
Susana Malcorra, Former Foreign Minister of Argentina
Amre Moussa, Former Foreign Minister of Egypt
Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of Nigeria
Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland
Emil Salim, Former Environmental Minister of Indonesia
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia
Yongyuth Yuthavong, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
Congresswoman Deb Haaland (Honorary Member)
Available for interviews:
- Director of Campaign for Nature, Brian O’Donnell
- Ambassador for the Campaign for Nature, Russ Feingold
- Ambassador and Science Advisor to the Campaign for Nature, Dr. Zakri Abdul Hamid
For Campaign for Nature interview requests and quotes, please contact:
Kirsten Weymouth
National Geographic Society
kweymouth@ngs.org
+1 703.928.4995
