press release

Chancellor Merkel sees biodiversity crisis partly responsible for pandemics

Campaign for Nature: Her conclusion must now be followed by action  

April 29, 2020, Berlin — The Campaign for Nature welcomes the Chancellor's clear statement at the 11th Petersberg Climate Dialogue, in which she points out the close link between the biodiversity crisis and pandemics such as Covid-19.  According to scientists, 60 percent of all infectious diseases have been transmitted from animals to humans in recent decades. This is "particularly due to the increased use of previously undisturbed habitats and the resulting proximity to wild animals.” Merkel warns that progress must be made in the international protection of biodiversity and that a new framework for the protection of biodiversity is therefore necessary by next year's 15th UN Conference on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Campaign for Nature calls on the Federal Government to follow up these statements with concrete and binding action and appeals to the Chancellor to make the biodiversity crisis a matter for the boss. This is the only way to ensure that the Federal Government finally commits itself to ambitious and clear goals and positions for the protection of biological diversity and represents it within the EU and internationally. This would also include an agreement at the UN Conference to put at least 30% of the world's most important habitats under effective protection by 2030 and to mobilize the  financial resources required for implementation. 

"The protection of one third of the earth's surface, especially the tropical forests that are still intact, would reduce the risk of the outbreak and spread of further pandemics and thus make a significant contribution to significantly reducing similarly dramatic impacts as we are currently experiencing worldwide," said Georg Schwede, European Representative of the Campaign for Nature. 

Up to now, the German Federal Government has been reluctant when it comes to a clear commitment to this 30% target for terrestrial habitats, said Schwede.  In doing so, it has so far ignored the urgent appeals from the scientific community. This goal is considered to be central to the conservation of species and habitats and at the same time to achieving the key goals of the Paris Agreement. 

Contact:

For Campaign for Nature interview requests and quotes, please contact:

Kirsten Weymouth
National Geographic Society
kweymouth@ngs.org  
+1 703.928.4995 

Greg Zimmerman
Wyss Campaign for Nature
greg@wysscampaign.org
+ 1 847.848.2881

__________________________________

 The Campaign for Nature is a global effort to raise awareness of the threats facing our natural world and inspire world leaders to take action to protect it. Launched in October 2018, the Wyss Campaign for Nature, the National Geographic Society and a growing coalition of conservation advocates are calling on policymakers to commit to clear and ambitious targets at the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Conference of the Parties in October 2020 to protect at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030.