A coalition co-founded by Costa Rica and other countries this Monday in Paris intends to work on the conservation of the planet’s biodiversity. It is the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC, for its acronym in English), made up of some 50 countries that together represent 28% of the world’s biodiversity. The goal is to protect at least 30% of the Earth’s land and sea surfaces by 2030, by building more coalitions and strengthening existing ones.
The launch was presented within the framework of the fourth edition of One Planet Summit, organized by the United Nations (UN), France, and the World Bank (WB). Among the participants of the One Planet Summit, which takes place mostly virtual, are the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres; the French President, Emmanuel Macron; the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, and the Costa Rican president Carlos Alvarado. Prince Charles of England also participated; the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel; the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson; and the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, among others.
Humanity reconciles with nature
The HAC was presented by Alvarado in September 2019, during the UN Climate Summit held in New York. The first meeting of ministers of the Commission was held during PreCOP25, held in Costa Rica in October 2019. At the opening of the fourth version of the One Planet Summit, Antonio Guterres assured that “2021 must be the year in which humanity reconciles with nature.”
The Costa Rican president, on the other hand, pointed out that “protecting 30% of the marine and terrestrial area of the planet will undoubtedly improve the quality of life” of citizens and will “help us achieve a just, decarbonized and resilient society, laying the foundations for compliance with the 2030 agenda”.
The global call aims to give a boost to international negotiations for COP15 to be held in Kunming (China) in the second half of the year after it was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. At the event, President Carlos Alvarado also announced the Azul Por Siempre (Blue Forever) Fund, which will ensure the financial sustainability and long-term conservation of our marine biodiversity.
