During Climate Week NYC, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 Razan Al Mubarak advocated for Nature-based Solutions and other urgent actions that tackle climate change and nature loss simultaneously, and she reaffirmed the need to include indigenous peoples and women in climate talks.

Despite many countries setting goals to limit greenhouse emissions, the world is set on a course that will surpass the 1.5ºC target by the beginning of the 2030s, as the most recent IPCC report warns. In a panel surrounded by leaders like Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and Jim Skea, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Ms. Al Mubarak addressed this issue in anticipation of COP28 UAE next December, saying:

“COP28 will host the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement and although we are far off target we know of the solutions that will rapidly help close the gaps. Meeting the 1.5℃ target means phasing out of fossil fuels; focusing on nature-based solutions; scaling up climate financing; and ensuring that all of it is done inclusively. As we look ahead to COP28 in UAE, we need to leverage this global event to disrupt business as usual.”

Ms. Al Mubarak, who is also President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), advocated for nature-based solutions such as ending deforestation and ecosystem conversion, and transforming food systems. She emphasized that “companies need solutions to address climate change and nature loss simultaneously,” adding:

“Biodiversity loss is already costing the global economy 10% of its output each year. Greater investments in nature-based solutions need to double by 2025, triple by 2030 & increase four-fold by 2050. 395 million new jobs can be created by 2030 through sustainable ecosystem management — resulting in $10 trillion of new business.”

Furthermore, she gave a public lecture on IUCN’s work to protect nature and the climate, co-chaired a meeting of the Champions for Nature to remind IUCN delegates of their obligations under the Global Biodiversity Framework; joined a panel called “If we delay, we all lose” moderated by BBC News Anchor and Correspondent Carl Nasman; and attended the launch of a paper led by the High-Level Climate Champions team citing successful examples of private capital supporting climate and nature initiatives.