Since the beginning of the pandemic, the world’s largest biodiversity summit opened in the port city of Marseille. Emmanuel Macron warned that “there is no vaccine to treat a sick planet.”
The President delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in the French port city Warning from Top scientist Mankind must work with climate and nature to resolve ongoing crises, or neither, urging the world to catch up to prevent the loss of biodiversity.
“There is no vaccine for sick planets,” Macron detailed at the event the urgent tasks of phasing out the use of pesticides, ending plastic pollution, and eradicating rainforest-related raw materials from supply chains around the world.
In a lengthy speech, he said that the world must agree on the goals of nature and climate and make financial commitments, and said that he will promote the recognition of the polar regions of the earth as a global common asset when the conference is launched.
Thousands of scientists, conservation experts and officials travel to Mediterranean cities to participate in the summit, which will host live and online events to discuss and share ideas related to nature conservation.
Earlier, the pandemic forced the Marseille meeting and the UN Biodiversity Summit in Kunming, China to be postponed for one year, hoping that countries would reach a “Paris Nature Agreement” there.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stated in a taped speech that all countries must work together to create a “clean and beautiful world”, emphasizing The huge journey of a group of Asian elephants Taking Yunnan as an example, it shows that China has achieved more and more success in conservation work.
“Many places have been hit by rare storms and floods. Weather events have seriously threatened the survival and development of mankind, making the protection of nature and global non-traditional security issues more foresight.” Li said.
Hollywood actor and environmentalist Harrison Ford spoke on behalf of Conservation International, praising young environmentalists for their role in protecting nature and responding to the climate crisis.
“Reinforcements are on their way,” Ford said. “They are now sitting in the lecture hall, entering this field for the first time, writing essays, leading demonstrations, organizing communities, and are learning to transform enthusiasm into progress and potential into strength. But they have not yet arrived. In a few years, They will be here.”
Ford is an enthusiastic Amazon conservation activist who emphasized the role of indigenous communities in protecting nature.
In parallel events, indigenous groups, scholars and activists from 18 countries gathered in the port city to participate in an “anti-conference” called “Our Land Our Nature”.
The delegates wanted to emphasize the ways in which indigenous peoples were negatively affected in the name of international ambitions to create space for wildlife. A key challenge is the policy goal of protecting 30% of the planet by 2030, which activists say may violate the rights of many indigenous peoples.
“I think we need to reconsider the definition of existing protected areas, and we need to find more complex biodiversity and conservation models,” said Dr. Mordecai Ogada, Director of Africa Conservation Solutions. “We need to break the narrative into smaller, more complex parts,” he said.
Hundreds of protesters, including representatives from Survival International, Extinction Rebellion, Rainforest Foundation, and minority rights organizations, gathered at Porte d’Aix, the old entrance of the city, and it was pouring rain The march to the port of the city. The presentation ended with speeches, small theater performances and carols.
