Hey, nature lovers! 🌿 Did you hear? UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres just made a powerful call to action at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia! 🇨🇴
On Sunday, via video message, Guterres urged for \"significant investment\" in the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF). \"We must leave Cali with significant investment in the GBFF and commitments to mobilize other sources of public and private finance,\" he said.
What's the GBFF, you ask? It's a fund created to help countries hit the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). 🌐 Adopted in 2022, the GBF sets 23 ambitious goals to \"halt and reverse\" nature's decline by 2030. Time is ticking! ⏳
So far, countries have pledged about $250 million to the GBFF. Sounds like a lot, but considering the goal is to mobilize at least $200 billion per year by 2030, we've got a long way to go! 💰
Guterres didn't hold back. He highlighted that destroying nature can mean more conflict, hunger, disease, poverty, and even a hit to global GDP. \"A collapse in nature's services, such as pollination and clean water, would see the global economy lose trillions of dollars a year, with the poorest hardest hit,\" he warned. 🐝💧💔
He called on countries to \"honor promises on finance and accelerate support to developing countries.\" Plus, a shoutout to those profiting from nature to step up and contribute to its protection and restoration. 🌳💪
The conference is a big deal, folks! Around 12,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries are attending the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) from October 21 to November 1. Talk about a global gathering! 🌍🎉
It's up to us and our leaders to make sure the planet stays vibrant and alive for generations to come. Let's keep the pressure on and the conversation going! 🌟🙌
Reference(s):
UN chief seeks 'significant' funding at summit to save nature
cgtn.com
