IUCN Regional Conservation Forum for Europe, North, and Central Asia 2024
The Wildlife Conservation Society EU Office (WCS EU) actively participated in the IUCN Regional Conservation Forum for Europe, North, and Central Asia, which took place from 30 September to 3 October 2024 in Bruges, Belgium. WCS EU organised two sessions to share insights on key policy work and conservation efforts linked to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and on scaling finance of high integrity tropical forests.
Once every four years, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) convenes its Regional Conservation Fora as a crucial platform for the IUCN Members, Commissions, and the Secretariat to prepare for the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress. The IUCN Regional Conservation Forum for Europe, North, and Central Asia (RCF24ENCA) constituted a major opportunity to present sustainable development issues and conservation priorities from global to regional perspectives, advance the next IUCN quadrennial programme, and help inform and steer IUCN’s strategic direction in the regions. As a member of IUCN, we were thrilled to contribute to shaping and guiding IUCN's strategic direction in the European region.
During the forum, we hosted two sessions:
Advancing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement on climate change: A European Perspective
In an era where human-induced pressures pose unprecedented threats to our natural world—ranging from habitat conversion for intensive agriculture to the far-reaching impacts of climate change—there's a pressing need for concerted action. At the forefront of this endeavor stands the European Community, poised to drive forward the implementation of both the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) and the Paris Agreement on climate change. These frameworks stand as beacons of hope, essential for reversing the tide of climate change and environmental degradation and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come. In this session, we explored how the European Community can further amplify its pivotal role, including through policy change, innovative finance, and supporting impactful on-the-ground work, in advancing the objectives of the KM-GBF and the Paris Agreement and fostering enhanced coordination and synergies between them.
Speakers included:
- Dr. Madhu Rao, Chair, IUCN World Commission of Protected Areas
- Mr. Daan Vandenberghe, Flemish UN Youth Delegate for Sustainable Development
- Ms. Aurelie Godefroy, Deputy Head of Unit INTPA F2- Environment, Sustainable Natural Resources, European Commission
- Mr. Cyrille Barnerias, Director, European and International Relations, French Biodiversity Agency
Scaling Finance of High Integrity Tropical Forests
The High Integrity Forest Investment Initiative (HIFOR) is a new innovative tool for ecosystem services program to incentivize the maintenance of climate regulation and biodiversity conservation by high integrity tropical forests by providing long-term financing to forest stewards to maintain their role in climate regulation, protect their biodiversity, and preserve their socio-cultural value. Across all high integrity tropical forests 7.5 billion dollars annually is needed for nature stewardship. Business risks from biodiversity decline and climate are not confined to supply chains and operations but also include broad systemic risks associated with the decline and degradation of nature. This session engaged IUCN members, Commission experts, and non-IUCN members to discuss the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration on the conservation of intact tropical forests and raised awareness on scaling financing for high integrity tropical forests.
Speakers included:
- Dr. Tom Evans, Senior Director, Forest Conservation, WCS
- Mr. Louis Bernard Cheteu, Senior Climate and Biodiversity Policy Advisor, WCS Republic of Congo
- Mr. James McBreen, Programme Manager, Technology and Innovation, IUCN
- Dr. Matthias Pitkowitz, Founder & CEO of EQX Biome