Quotes
His Excellency Mr. Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China
"With the Action Agenda, Egypt is passing on the baton of conservation to China, which ushers in the new era of ecological civilization: building a shared future for all life on Earth. It is our hope that the Action Agenda can inspire all Parties and stakeholders to take part in CBD COP 15, make contributions to the development and implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and create win-win results through collaboration. It is also our hope that all people, regardless of race, gender, age, background and identity can contribute the best of their abilities to protect biodiversity..."
Her Excellency Ms. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment of the Arab Republic of Egypt and President of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
"We need to work with people and groups of people from all sectors and all backgrounds and invite them to make their own commitments"
Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the CBD
"As one global community, let’s set the scene for action that will allow us to build back better, and take the actions needed for a sustainable future"
Mr. Rik Kutsch Lojenga, Executive Director at Union for Ethical Biotrade
“Consumers are increasingly demanding that businesses demonstrate a genuine commitment to ethical sourcing. We at UEBT are so pleased to see more than 50 companies stand up for nature with this shared commitment. In the coming years we will be supporting these businesses in reaching their time-bound targets on the ground in farms and wild plant collection sites all over the world”
Ms. Lana Sutherland, Co-Founder and CEO at TEALEAVES
“We want to help create a movement and demonstrate that the for-profit sector can be part of the solution, furthering the goals of the social and public sector through fostering multi-layered partnerships to address global challenges”
Ms. Monica Boța-Moisin, Founder Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative®
“Simply put, safeguarding and nurturing Biocultural Diversity is imperative for creating well-being on Earth. This is unquestionably a global priority. Actionable frameworks like the 3Cs' Rule: Consent. Credit. Compensation© developed at the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative® are a tool for ethical engagement and co-creation with Indigenous People, ethnic groups and Local Communities (IPLCSs) for whom sustaining Biocultural Diversity is a lifestyle, the expression of a worldview, a way of ensuring cultural continuity and survival. Knowledge partnerships with stewards of Biocultural Diversity based on Consent, Credit and Compensation will ensure our collective actions are guided by a worldview that reflects the interdependence and interconnectedness of all life and values well-being for all. Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs) are evidence of the communion between people and ecosystems expressed in rituals, songs, narratives, celebrations, symbolism, sacredness of natural sites, and reflected in textiles, craftsmanship, architecture, traditional ecological and agricultural practices.”
Ms. Sarah Lukie, Vice President, Trade Policy and International Affairs at CropLife International
“At CropLife International, we are committed to safeguarding the environment and improving biodiversity through responsible use of our technologies that help farmers grow more with less.”
Ms. Akanksha Khatri, Head, Nature and Biodiversity at the World Economic Forum
“Nature is the critical infrastructure underpinning economic growth and societal resilience. There is an urgent need to transition towards a nature-positive pathway in how we grow food, power our lives and relate to resources.”
Ms. Kobie Brand, Deputy Secretary General at the ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
“Nature supports people in countless ways, yet too often we continue to destroy nature instead of cherishing and protecting it. Together all of humanity must act boldly and urgently to restore our relationship with nature and build a shared future for all life on Earth. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability works with cities and territories around the world to promote and implement nature-based solutions, ecosystem restoration, and green & blue infrastructure. We actively encourage, enable and support cities to bring nature back into all aspects of urban life for human health and wellbeing. In the CitiesWithNature initiative, we collaborate with 20 global partner organisations and over 200 cities to this end. We call on cities - large and small - to join CitiesWithNature and to share their actions and nature journeys on the CitiesWithNature Action Platform, a platform recognised by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as the place for cities to monitor and report on their voluntary commitments to national and global biodiversity targets. The CitiesWithNature Action Platform is also linked to the new global Action Agenda of the CBD, namely the Sharm El Sheikh to Kunming Action Agenda for Nature and People. Reconnecting with and protecting nature in and around our cities is essential to address the biggest challenges we face including climate change, food & water security, equitable access and poverty. Indeed, it is essential for our very survival in the decades ahead. Together, as urban communities, cities, regions and at all levels of government and society, we still have a small window of time to act for nature! Our urban community is ready - let's join hands and scale up our actions today, for a thriving and peaceful future for all!”
Mr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, global lead climate and energy at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
“Building a shared future for all life, entails shared responsibility and a whole of society mechanism. The new CBD framework to be agreed at COP15, must turn into the guiding star to achieve this shared future for all, and collective action should be the pillar for its immediate implementation. nAs co-chair/facilitator of the Friends of Action group, supporting the Sharm El-Sheik to Kunming Nature Action Agenda we stand ready to work together with Parties and all stakeholders, to reverse nature loss. Only through transparency, shared trust and credibility can we change course and leverage the only and short window of opportunity we have in this decade, we can't afford to lose it.”
