“This is the decade in which we must reverse biodiversity loss, slash emissions, address resilience, advance equity, and we must do this all simultaneously,” asserted Razan Al Mubarak, speaking at the sixth-annual One Forest Summit today.
Protection of tropical rainforests took center stage at the two-day conference, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, and other officials and environment ministers from around the world. The group converged in Libreville, Gabon, to discuss the future of rainforests in the Congo basin, Southeast Asia and the Amazon basin.
Ms. Al Mubarak said that forests are a powerful tool in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change, stating:
“We recognize the irreplaceable value of forests for nature, for people, for economy, for common humanity, but also as a prime solution to address climate change. We also recognize that there is no Paris Agreement without protecting, without restoring, without sustaining and managing nature.”
She also highlighted the importance of integrating indigenous peoples and youth in the fight to conserve nature, adding that the needs and concerns of developing countries need to be heard and addressed.
Turning the conversation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in November, Ms. Al Mubarak, who also serves as UN Climate Change High-Level Champion, reaffirmed her commitment to adopting “pragmatic solutions” to address biodiversity loss and climate change.
“At COP28 we are putting nature and inclusivity at the heart of our agenda. COP28 will be a COP of action, and it will be a COP where the global south will be front and center.”