Business for Nature Statement

OEWG 2 – CBD

24 February, 2020, Rome, Italy

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen

My name is Eva Zabey and it’s my honour to address you as the Executive Director of the Business for Nature Coalition.

We wish to thank the CBD secretariat, the co-chairs and the signatory Parties. Thank you for setting up the informal advisory group on mainstreaming. Thank you for proactively giving business and other non-Party stakeholders the opportunity to engage and contribute to the zero draft of the post-2020 framework. We greatly appreciate it.

Business for Nature is a unique global coalition of influential business and conservation organizations.  Leading businesses are already making commitments and acting to reverse nature loss. But we know this is not enough. Our aim is to unify the business voice to call for more ambitious policies and practices on nature.

Today, we are calling on Parties of the CBD to adopt an ambitious post-2020 framework. Why?

Forward-thinking businesses are starting to change the way they operate based on their understanding of the value of nature for their business, but this is still the exception, not the norm.

So:

• Your political leadership is needed now to transform our economic and financial systems in a way that places nature at the heart of global decision-making.

• Your political leadership is needed now to create a level playing field and stable operating environment for business;

• Your political leadership is needed now to unlock further business opportunities and innovation, such as accelerating the uptake of nature-based solutions.

An ambitious post-2020 framework will lead to more business action on nature,  which in turn will continue to raise the ambition, therefore creating a positive policy-business feedback loop.

Companies planning on being successful in the future are starting to realize that financial performance is irrelevant on a dead planet.

Thank you for your kind attention. We look forward to working with you and continue to be fully committed to support you in the run-up to a successful CBD COP in Kunming.

Thank you very much

Business for Nature’s full policy recommendations can be found here.