Explainer- What is ‘Nature Positive’? Biodiversity’s Answer to Net Zero

He said failure to agree an “ambitious and transformative” biodiversity pact at COP15 in Montreal in December would risk undermining key global climate goals.

The climate agreement currently being pushed COP27 He said that the role of nature should also be recognized.

At a 2015 climate meeting in Paris, countries agreed to cut emissions to keep global warming well below 2 °C (3.6 °F) and ideally “well below” 1.5C (2.7F). A threshold the world is now likely to cross, scientists warn.

“Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is only possible if we also act to deliver a nature-positive society,” said a statement from the architects of the Paris Agreement.

Meanwhile, more than 300 civil society organizations have called for the agreement to be negotiated at COP15 to reverse nature’s damage and “secure a nature-positive world this decade”.

So what would a ‘nature-positive’ world look like, and how can countries achieve it?

Why focus on restoring nature?

From deforestation to overfishing, global environmental destruction has reached a point where many plant and animal species will not recover.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has found that the world’s wildlife population has declined by more than two-thirds since 1970.

As well as conserving vital biodiversity, protecting nature has a significant impact on global climate goals.

Nature has absorbed 54% of human-related carbon dioxide emissions over the past decade, but the capacity of the world’s forests, oceans and other ecosystems to do so is weakening, according to a newly released WWF report.

What does ‘nature-positive’ mean?

In simple terms, achieving a ‘nature-positive’ world involves halting and reversing current trends of ecological destruction, which conservationists say needs to be achieved by the end of the decade.

“The idea (is) that there should be more nature in 2030 than in 2020,” explained Gavin Edwards, director of the Global Nature Positive Initiative at WWF.

He said this ‘nature-positive’ target could be the equivalent of the 1.5C pledge, providing a sense of direction for the movement: while curbing rising temperatures requires cutting emissions, boosting biodiversity is essential. There is a need for nature conservation.

“Essentially, that curve has to be bent at the same time as the climate curve is being bent down,” Edwards said.

How can countries measure ‘nature positive’?

According to conservation organisations, ‘nature-positive’ outcomes include the protection and restoration of natural processes, ecosystems and species.

This can be quantified by measuring metrics such as tree cover, integrity of habitats and number of species.

The exact details will vary from country to country, Edwards said.

He said countries could be held accountable for their nature conservation goals, similar to the “ratchet” mechanism of the Paris Climate Agreement – where national commitments are updated following a global stocktake on progress.

Edwards explained, “It’s deciding where we want to go collectively, and a process of accountability to help us get there.”

Will there be a breakthrough on nature?

Nearly 112 countries have endorsed a goal – to protect 30% of the planet’s land and oceans by 2030 – to be discussed at COP15 in Montreal.

Despite this, the UN chief of biodiversity, Elizabeth Maruma Marama, has said that COP15 is not expecting national leaders to attend next month’s event.

It comes after several previous negotiations on the treaty have stalled, leaving delegates in Montreal with a huge task ahead.

“Paris was a pivotal moment where the ambition needed to address the climate crisis was finally acknowledged and nations acted,” said Jennifer Morris, chief executive of environmental organization The Nature Conservancy.

“This December in Montreal, we may have that same type of moment for biodiversity,” she said.

The text of this story is published from a wire agency feed without any modification.