The 2nd World Forum on Natural Capital, held under the theme 'Solutions for a changing world,' discussed ways to help business and sustainability leaders identify the economic importance of protecting and restoring the natural environment.
Delegates to the Forum were invited to sign a letter urging world leaders attending the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris “to acknowledge and address the fact that climate change cannot be tackled without halting the rapid erosion and loss of natural capital.”
27 November 2015: The 2nd World Forum on Natural Capital, held under the theme ‘Solutions for a changing world,’ discussed ways to help business and sustainability leaders identify the economic importance of protecting and restoring the natural environment. Delegates to the Forum were invited to sign a letter urging world leaders attending the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris “to acknowledge and address the fact that climate change cannot be tackled without halting the rapid erosion and loss of natural capital.”
The letter also called on leaders to: safeguard natural capital to prevent any further loss; restore natural ecosystems; and recognize that the benefits of securing healthy global stocks of natural capital outweigh the costs.
In a video message to a global gathering, the Prince of Wales warned of a failure to “run the global bank that we call our planet in a responsible and competent manner.”
The Forum saw the launch of the ‘Peatland Code,’ which aims to protect peatlands in the United Kingdom and offers a way for businesses to support goals focused on peatland restoration. Also at the meeting, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) presented findings from a project exploring the impact of macroeconomic policies and programmes on natural asset wealth. Among findings from Kazakhstan, UNEP highlighted potential gains from implementing an efficient water trading mechanism along the Syr Darya basin, and investing in canal infrastructure repair to speed up restoration of the Northern Aral Sea. Research findings from Morocco highlighted increased costs from using ground water to partially replace surface water lost to drought.
The 2nd World Forum on Natural Capital was held in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 23-24 November 2015. [2nd World Forum on Natural Capital Website] [Prince of Wales Video Message] [Open Letter to World Leaders] [Press Release on Launch of Peatlands Code] [UNEP Press Release]