BORN FREE AND BORN FREE USA CALL ON WORLD LEADERS TO IMPLEMENT BOLD COMMITMENTS TO ENSURE NATURE’S RECOVERY

As world leaders gathered in a virtual summit (One Planet Summit, Paris, France, 11 January 2020) to discuss new commitments for the protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, the mobilisation of financial resources for nature recovery and the link between deforestation, species conservation and human health, Born Free and Born Free USA have called for the adoption and implementation of transformative, bold measures.

Will Travers OBE, Born Free’s Co-Founder and Executive President, said: “The natural world is facing unprecedented decline, with a million species at risk of extinction as a result of human activities. If the degradation and exploitation of nature and wildlife is allowed to continue, ecosystems will collapse, with catastrophic consequences for the natural world and humanity. We must act now and we must be bold, as never before.”

In a letter to environment ministries, Born Free highlighted a set of priority measures which decision makers need to adopt as a matter of urgency if we are to give nature a fighting chance. These measures included:

1. Priority recommendations proposed by 20 of the world’s leading conservation organisations (the WC20), detailed in a declaration calling on world leaders to invest in nature to protect biodiversity, avoid future pandemics and safeguard the long-term well-being and security of current and future human generations, and all life on Earth. 
2. Measures proposed as part of the Global Nature Recovery Investment Initiative to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and wildlife overexploitation; deliver enhanced and sustainable ecosystem viability and services, alongside climate change mitigation; and promote public and animal health, sustainable livelihoods, and food and societal security. 
3. Commitments pursued by the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, which seeks to secure a global agreement on tackling illicit wildlife trafficking, and to amend international wildlife laws and wildlife trade protocols to incorporate consideration of human and animal health.

Angela Grimes, Born Free USA’s Chief Executive Officer, added: “Our planet is in crisis. We can halt and reverse the decline in the natural world, and we can secure a viable future for all life on Earth, but we need our leaders to act now, and act boldly. There is no time to waste.”

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