Pledges made on Transformative Action for Nature and People

September 23, 2021

The announced pledge is the largest ever philanthropic commitment to nature conservation

At Nature For Life Hub‘s ‘Transformative Action for Nature and People‘ event on 22nd September, coinciding with the 76th meeting of the UN General Assembly, over 20 Heads of State and leaders from indigenous communities, finance, philanthropy &and civil society joined in commitment to action for people and nature.

As part of this, nine organisations have pledged US$5 billion over 10 years to support the creation, expansion, management and monitoring of protected and conserved areas of land, inland water and sea, working with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, civil society and governments. This commitment is made with the launch of a ‘Protecting Our Planet Challenge’, made jointly by Arcadia – a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, Bezos Earth Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Nia Tero, Rainforest Trust, Re:wild, Wyss Foundation, and the Rob and Melani Walton Foundation.

The Nature for Life Hub is a series of virtual events on 22nd September and 4-5 October 2021, featuring activists, influencers, leaders, and businesses, takes audiences on various thematic journeys, delving deep into specialist topics, practical solutions and ambitious actions that are paving a path towards a nature-positive future. The Hub is coordinated by ‘Learning for Nature‘, an e-learning programme by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which connects biodiversity policymakers, change-makers, and on-the-ground subject matter experts to promote biodiversity conservation and facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Additional specific commitments announced in the Transformative Action for Nature and People event included:

The Mura-Drava-Danube reserve – three rivers stretching 700km through five European countries (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia) in the so-called ‘Amazon of Europe’ being declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
Indigenous conservation leaders from Canada’s James Bay, Hudson Bay, and Labrador
Sea aiming to create six new Indigenous-led Protected Areas.
Conservation International’s ongoing commitment to transform tens of millions of hectares of critical landscape and seascapes into models for sustainable growth and economic coexistence with nature.
The Green Climate Fund is seeking to expand its investments to restore ecosystems while creating jobs across developing countries.
Nigeria establishing 10 new national parks.
Germany increasing international climate financing to 6bn euros by 2025 at the latest.
Belgium increasing their global climate funding commitment by 30% from 70 million to 100 million euros annually and transitioning to sustainable food systems.

Find out more in the announcement Press Release, and visit the Nature For Life Hub programme page for more information on the coming events on 4-6 October 2021.