June 22nd 2021

Government sets out commitments to biodiversity and sustainability in G7 Nature Compact 

G7 leaders have agreed commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, and tackle deforestation, marine litter and illegal wildlife trade. 

At the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Cornwall over the weekend high-income nations including the UK, US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and Italy shared their 2030 ‘Nature Compact.’ This is a key agreement which brings leaders together to address global and interlinked challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change. 

As the host, Boris Johnson shared the UK’s plans to “drive a global Green Industrial Revolution to transform the way we live.” He added, “there is a relationship between reducing emissions, restoring nature, creating jobs and ensuring long-term economic growth.” 

Through this Nature Compact, the UK is committed to supporting the global consensus and to taking bold action for delivery of ambitious outcomes for nature in 2021 at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15 in Kunming and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP26 in Glasgow. 

The G7 Nature Compact commits world leaders to: 

  • Shift incentives and use all appropriate levers to address unsustainable and illegal activities impacting nature, such as through tackling deforestation by supporting sustainable supply chains, and stepping up efforts to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

  • Work to dramatically increase investment in nature from all sources, and to ensure nature is accounted for in economic and financial decision-making – for instance, through drawing on the Dasgupta Review for key actions 

  • Support and drive the protection, conservation and restoration of ecosystems critical to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and tackle climate change, such as supporting the target to conserve or protect at least 30% of global land and at least 30% of the global ocean by the end of the decade 

  • Hold themselves to account for taking domestic and global action for nature through driving strengthened accountability and implementation mechanisms of all Multilateral Environmental Agreements to which we are parties 

Through this Compact, the UK Government is committing to supporting the global consensus and to taking bold action for delivery of ambitious outcomes for nature in 2021 at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15 in Kunming and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP26 in Glasgow. 

The Prime Minister has also launched the UK’s Blue Planet Fund. The £500 million fund will support countries to tackle unsustainable fishing, protect and restore coastal ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs, and reduce marine pollution. 

Protecting the world’s forests is vital to stop climate change, prevent further biodiversity loss and future pandemics. Forests also uphold the rights of Indigenous people and local communities who have safeguarded forests for generations. 

The full G7 Nature Compact can be read online here.

Image source: Cornwall by Robert Bye via Unsplash