The Earth’s Future is in Our Hands: Why It’s Time to Choose Nature Over Profits

Saving the Planet: A Call to Prioritize Nature Over Business

In a passionate plea at the Global Biodiversity Conference (COP 16) in Cali, Colombia, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgent need for countries to shift their focus from business interests to nature conservation. Highlighting the finite and invaluable nature of our environment, Guterres stressed the vital role of governments in prioritizing the protection and restoration of our planet.

Key Points from Guterres’s Address:

1. Framework Fund and Financing Sources:
   • Guterres called for governments to contribute to the protection and restoration of the environment through the Framework Fund and other public and private financing sources.
2. Setting Targets for Nature Protection:
   • Emphasizing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Guterres urged the setting of targets for nature protection with robust monitoring mechanisms to mobilize at least US$ 200 billion annually by 2030.
3. Shift to Nature-Positive Business Models:
   • Encouraging a transition to nature-positive business and production models, Guterres advocated for renewable energy, sustainable supply chains, zero waste policies, circular economies, regenerative agriculture, and sustainable farming practices.
4. Importance of Nature Defenders:
   • Guterres underscored the critical role of nature defenders, particularly Indigenous voices, Afro-descendants, and local communities as guardians of nature. He called for the protection of these defenders who often face threats and violence.
5. Addressing Global Environmental Challenges:
   • Guterres highlighted that no country is immune to the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution. He emphasized that outdated economic models drive unsustainable production and consumption patterns that must be addressed collectively.

Guterres’s message resonates with the need for a paradigm shift towards sustainable practices and the protection of our natural world. Every nation must play its part in securing a better future against environmental threats like wildfires, floods, extreme weather events, and pandemics. It is a collective responsibility to protect and preserve the planet for future generations.

Let us heed Guterres’s call to action and prioritize nature over business interests, forging a path towards a sustainable and thriving world for all. The time to act is now, and the fate of our planet rests in our hands.