New York, United States: Ahead of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Danny Faure attended the High-level launch of the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People hosted by the Republic of Costa Rica entitled: Securing Our Future: People, Food and Nature solving the Planetary Emergency.
Addressing the audience at the event, President Faure urged countries to raise their levels of ambition in order to achieve the global targets set for climate and biodiversity.
He stressed on the crucial need for the world to go back to nature for solutions that will ensure the future sustainability of our planet whilst also highlighting some of the actions taken in Seychelles centered on the protection of nature, healthy ecosystems and biodiversity.
“Our revised and upscaled Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) will include a whole chapter on oceans and blue carbon, with emphasis on the protection of the marine environment and ecosystems. In fact, we have already designated 26 % of our EEZ into marine protection areas and we are on target to achieving the target of 30% by 2020. This represents 20% more than the Aichi targets, 10 years earlier. Additionally we have designated50% of our terrestrial area as protected.
It is therefore only natural for us to join the coalition of countries that are pushing for the ambitious target for the protection of 30% of our planet by the end of the next decade” said President Faure.
However, despite all the sustainable environment conservation action efforts the President recognized that unfortunately, resources to finance biodiversity and climate action are nowhere near enough and stressed on how crucial it is for countries to find new and innovative methods of financing for nature, for conservation work and for sustainable utilization of marine resources.
“We need to give a boost to nature if we are to recover from the tremendous loss of biodiversity and achieve the Paris agreement target on climate. Decisions we take as leaders can help shape the future of our planet. Seychelles is honored to formally join and actively be part of the High Ambition Coalition and commits to help galvanize support to achieve the aims of the Coalition,” the President added.
President is currently in New York where he willdeliver a statement later today at the Climate Summit hosted by the UN Secretary-General and address the UNGA.
The President will also attend several important high-level events that will convene including the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), a dialogue on financing for Development, and a high-level meeting to review progress made in addressing the priorities of Small Island Developing States.