September 25, 2020 - Driving Nature-based Solutions

Nature, the focus of September meeting

In recent years, the use of nature to combat climate change and the loss of biodiversity has grown significantly. From the natural world come those modes of action with high potential in terms of energy efficiency and resilience, as well as other benefits related to health and well-being, biodiversity, urban regeneration, management of water resources, mitigation and adaptation climate change.

This innovative approach to natural resources has been the focus of the next webinar of the Youth4Climate series - Friday 25 September 2020 - a program of virtual meetings addressed to young people from all over the world and organized by the Italian Ministry of the Environment, in collaboration with Connect4Climate (World Bank Group) and the Office of the Youth Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General. The goal is to prepare, as widely as possible, the event "Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition", the PreCop26 and Cop26, to be held in September/October and November 2021 in Milan and Glasgow respectively.

During the webinar it has been given the opportunity of sharing experiences, collect innovative ideas and aspirations of young people in the fields of protection, restoration and sustainable use of solutions and actions based on nature.

Three young activists have told their story: Archana Soreng, environmental activist, former president of the TISS student union and member of the new Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, set up by the United Nations Secretary General; Vanessa Nakate, climate justice activist, founder of Youth for Future Africa and the Rise Up Movement; Claudel Pétrin-Desrosiers, president of the Quebec Association of Physicians for the Environment (AQME) and member of the board of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE).

The WHO special envoy for COVID-19, David Nabarro, and the former executive secretary of the UNFCCC, Christiana Figueres, currently Vice-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, ClimateWorks Board Member, World Bank Climate Leader and Mission2020 Convenor have also contributed to the discussion. The following video messages have been released during the weinbar: from the UK Minister for the Environment, Lord Zac Goldsmith; by the Italian Ambassador to the United Nations Organization, Mariangela Zappia, and by three young officials of the Ministry of the Environment of China, a country that will have the presidency of the next conference on the Convention on Biodiversity.

The discussion has been moderated by two champions of the youth voice: Ahmed Badr and Salina Abraham.

As always, the meeting took place on an interactive platform - https://youth4climate.live  - which also provides video contributions and collects questions from participants.

Those who connected had the chance to participate to the meetings in Milan in person. In fact, those who effectively synthesize the main messages that emerged, especially from a visual point of view, can send them to the “SumItUp”  competition and win the coverage of all expenses.

 

September 25, 2020
Driving Nature-based Solutions

 Virtual event 

 Time: 16:00 CEST - 10:00 - 11:00 AM EDT

 Type: open

 Format: discussion, italian translation available

 Description

The scope of the webinar has been to share experiences, collect innovative ideas, acknowledge concerns and aspirations of young people when it comes toconserve, restore and use nature in a sustainable manner while enhancing nature-based solutions implementation.

The webinar was attended by World Health Organization Special Envoy on COVID-19, David Nabarro, and Christiana Figueres, former UNFCCC Executive Secretary and currently Vice-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, ClimateWorks Board Member, World Bank Climate Leader and Mission2020 Convenor. Three video messages have also been released: from the United Kingdom Minister for Pacific and the Environment, Lord Zac Goldsmith, from the Italian Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York, Mariangela Zappia, and three young officials of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, country of the Presidency of the next Convention on Biological Diversity.

Young people have been asked to address one or more of the following areas:

• exploring relations among climate change, nature and health;
• building back better through natural solutions that strengthen the resilience of our communities;
• protecting, conserving and restoring nature and ensuring its sustainable use through youth-led local and global action.

By highlighting one or more of the following aspects.

1.   Lesson learnt. Building upon progress made during pre-COVID, what are the lessons learnt from COVID-19, also including the new methods of engagement it offers,in relation to:

• One-Health – the interlinked nature of planetary and human health;
• political agendas, priorities and social change at a national level; 
• global crises: biodiversity loss and climate change.

2.   Proposal. How we can further mainstream biodiversity considerations into climate and development strategies; as well as COVID-19 recovery plans.

• Are there good examples of nature-based solutions in COVID-19 recovery plans? What are the factors of success? Which narrative, framing or method of advocacy
   has been most successful in showcasing their importance? Where does youth inclusion fit into these conversations?

3.   Mobilization. How we can mobilize young people to protect, conserve, restore and sustainably use natural resources.

• Is the current global pandemic influencing policy discussions? And how?
• Building upon examples of youth action and related successful stories before COVID-19 outbreak, what are the high priority areas where youth can mobilize
   for the greatest impact?
• In which areas and fields, are youth already taking the lead with nature-based solutions?

 

 Documents: Concept note

ITEM AND SPEAKERS

Moderators

Salina Abraham
Outgoing President of the International Forestry Students’ Association and former coordinator of the Youth in Landscapes Initiative.

Ahmed Badr
Writer, multi-media artist, social entrepreneur, the Founder of Narratio and a former Iraqi refugee working at the intersection of creativity, displacement, and youth empowerment.

High-Level Speakers
David Nabarro, World Health Organization Special Envoy on COVID-19.
He has been invited to illustrate the links between destruction of biodiversity and COVID-19 outbreak, and their impacts on human health while sharing the lessons learned and how to build upon through green COVID rescue plans.
Christiana Figueres, Vice-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, ClimateWorks Board Member, World Bank Climate Leader and Mission2020 Convenor.
She analyzed how biodiversity and climate change policies and related strategies can be further integrated through nature-based solutions and how the youth community can help and support biodiversity priorities and ambitions reach a “Paris Agreement moment”, both locally and internationally

Youth Speakers
Archana Soreng (India).
Environmental activist, former president of the TISS student union and member of the newly established of Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change established by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Vanessa Nakate (Uganda).
Climate justice activist, Founder of the Youth for Future Africa and the likewise Africa based Rise Up Movement.

Claudel Pétrin-Desrosiers (Canada).
President of the Quebec Association of Physicians for the Environment (AQME) and board member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE).

Pre-recorded video messages

H.E. Lord Zac Goldsmith
Minister for Pacific and the Environment, United Kingdom

 H.E. Mariangela Zappia
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York
 

 

 

 


Ultimo aggiornamento 01.10.2020