The essential role of nature in regulating climate and reducing the impacts of natural hazards is undisputed and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework has stated climate change as an accelerator of other drivers of biodiversity loss. The COP28 Joint Statement on Climate, Nature and People by UNFCCC COP28 presidency, CBD COP 15 presidency and supporting partnerships and initiatives, such as the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, underlined the need to foster synergetic action and created the Climate-Nature Coordination Platform to work towards these common goals.

Nevertheless, the challenges of thinking climate and nature together are huge and have been discussed extensively, as have concepts such as Nature-based solutions. Therefore, this side event aims to look ahead and explore existing and possible solutions at country level, involving state and civil society actors, to make those synergies tangible and enhance their joint implementation.

This side event aims to discuss the challenges and opportunities of tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis together, to share successful examples and ways forward from Member States and civil society and to promote a dialogue on concrete solutions for implementation. First results from a study, conducted by GIZ, on the alignment between NBSAP and NDC implementation will be discussed, with a focus on opportunities, entry points and lessons learnt from the formulation and implementation processes of the latest NDCs and NBSAPs globally, as well as recommendations for international policy process, stakeholders of civil society and private sector. Solutions for synergies are explored in governance processes, sectoral implementation, financial support and resource mobilization, joint monitoring and reporting mechanisms. A toolbox for country specific implementation, developed by WWF International, will be presented. 

The event is being organized in the framework of the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, which is co-chaired by Germany and Colombia, and complements the “Listening to the Science” Event proposed by Colombia.