Collapse of biodiversity: concrete commitments are essential.

"It is absolutely crucial to seize the opportunity" of the congress of Marseille "to raise the level of ambition and obtain concrete commitments to act on the root of the collapse of the living", insists the director general of WWF France.

The World Congress of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) opens Friday, September 3 in Marseille in the presence of the President of the Republic , Emmanuel Macron. "It is absolutely crucial to seize" this opportunity "to raise the level of ambition and obtain concrete commitments to act on the root of the collapse of the living" , called Véronique Andrieux, Managing Director of WWF France, the Global Fund. for nature, on franceinfo. In 2020, "68%, two thirds of wild vertebrate species" are threatened, she recalled.

franceinfo: Can this congress help fight against the collapse of biodiversity?

Véronique Andrieux: Absolutely, this world congress is being held a few months away from crucial international negotiations on climate and biodiversity which will define the agenda for 2030 and therefore it is absolutely crucial to seize the opportunity in Marseille to raise the level ambition and obtain concrete commitments to act on the root of the collapse of living things. There is a delay in relation to the climate agenda in terms of biodiversity . In view of the urgency, it is essential to be up to the challenges and to obtain concrete commitments and adequate funding.

The risks are terrible, however. Are we at a rate of extinctions never seen in the history of the planet?

According to WWF's latest "living planet" report , in 2020 there are 68%, two-thirds of wild vertebrate species, which have been affected in less than 50 years. These are truly alarming numbers. We have three quarters of degraded terrestrial ecosystems and two thirds of marine ecosystems. In terms of oceans, we have a demand for the creation of strong protection zones up to 10%. We start from very far. We ask that these strong protection zones be equitably distributed over all maritime facades including the Mediterranean.

At the global level, one of the levers is to show investors the terrible cost that the collapse of biodiversity will represent for them?

Yes, different actors meet in Marseille including the private and financial sectors but also the cities. These different actors can act. For example, we are asking to redirect financial flows to stop funding the destruction of nature.

"We must identify and end subsidies harmful to nature."

Véronique Andrieux, Director General of WWF

to franceinfo

For example, we must eliminate guarantees or export credits. We must go further. Companies are called upon to have greater responsibility and to integrate economic activities into the economic thresholds. We must be aware that nature is the foundation of our economy, our health and our life. It is very important to equip ourselves with tools, strategies and biodiversity objectives based on science which is our compass and which commits us until 2030.

Source : FranceInfo.