MEDIA STATEMENT
Now is the Time for ASEAN Member States to Join a Global Effort to Protect 30% of the Earth’s Land and Ocean
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (22 May 2021) — On the occasion of World Biodiversity Day, a growing number of elected officials, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and other experts are calling on ASEAN leaders to endorse ambitious proposals to protect biodiversity and advance Indigenous rights through the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
After a year-long delay, the official negotiations of the Convention on Biological Diversity have resumed this month and are scheduled to conclude in Kunming, China this October. As delegates from 196 countries--including all of the ASEAN member states--participate in the negotiations, eyes are on the ASEAN region. As one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, ASEAN member states have a crucial role to play in developing a successful global strategy to safeguard biodiversity. ASEAN is a leader of the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries that champion conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity since its inception in 2002 and harbours 70% of global biodiversity.
While ASEAN member states have yet to finalize their positions, there is growing support around the world for a scientific proposal to conserve at least 30% of the planet’s land and ocean. This is a global target, and there is increased recognition that it must fully respect Indigenous rights and engage Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as full partners in implementation.
The 30x30 proposal is championed by the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC)--an intergovernmental coalition of more than 60 countries co-chaired by Costa Rica, France, and the UK. Cambodia is the first HAC member from the ASEAN region. Other Asian members include Japan, Pakistan, and the Maldives. The 30x30 proposal has been included in the Convention on Biological Diversity’s draft strategy as a global target, as countries will have different opportunities for biodiversity conservation depending on the particular circumstances in their national territory. It is appropriate that how to implement such a globally agreed target be a sovereign decision made in conjunction with the best science.
While urgent action on the coronavirus pandemic could divert attention from the biodiversity and climate crises, the science tells us we cannot wait any longer. In fact, the pandemic has shown us that action to protect and conserve nature now can play an important role in preventing future health crises.
Overwhelming scientific evidence and economic data shows that conserving at least 30% of the planet’s land and ocean is a key way to help address global biodiversity loss--in addition to storing carbon, preventing future pandemics, bolstering economic growth, increasing fisheries’ production, and advancing Indigenous rights.
The economic benefits are strong: an independent study prepared by more than 100 economists and experts found that meeting the 30% target will generate financial and ecosystem services benefits at least five times the cost.
With these benefits in mind, the following leaders make the case for why ASEAN member states should publicly support the 30x30 global target and advance Indigenous rights.
Dr. Zakri Abdul Hamid, Ambassador and Science Advisor to the Campaign for Nature said:
“To overcome the current global health crisis and mitigate those to come, science guides us. Having delivered life-saving vaccines for COVID-19 -- which the IMF estimates will have cost the global economy $28 trillion by 2025 -- scientists now urge us to preserve intact natural areas to prevent similar infectious disease outbreaks in future. Protecting at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030 is a timely and important action to defend and improve the health of our planet, our economies, and ourselves. I urged all Malaysians and ASEAN neighbours to support this goal.”
Tony La Viña, Former Undersecretary of Environment, Philippines, said:
“There is growing recognition that effectively responding to climate change will require greater attention to and an increased investment in nature conservation. I encourage all ASEAN countries to embrace the proposal to protect at least 30 percent of the planet as an important element of an ambitious climate strategy.”
Ravi Sharma, former director of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Advisor to the Campaign for Nature, said:
"The immense loss of nature poses a threat as serious as climate change to the future of humanity but to date it has not gotten the attention or priority it merits. The degradation of nature endangers our clean air, drinking water and our health, and risks stalling or reversing the economic and social gains made by the region. I urge ASEAN countries to prioritize nature conservation as one of the key drivers for economic development to recover from the massive effects of the pandemic by supporting the global proposal to conserve at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030.”
Yongyuth Yuthavong, Senior Specialist, National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and Advisor to the President of Thailand National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), said:
“The science is overwhelmingly clear: much more of our planet must be protected and time is running out. The proposal to protect at least 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030 is ambitious, achievable, and a good first step towards addressing the crisis facing our natural world. Presently, Thailand still has 32% natural forest land, and 10% economic forest land. In our strategic plan, we aim to achieve 35% natural forest land and 15% economic forest land. I encourage all ASEAN countries to support the important global target, at least through national plans and co-operation with the global community.”
Emil Salim, PhD, Former Environmental Minister of Indonesia and member of the Global Steering Committee for the Campaign for Nature, said:
“The proposal to protect at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030 is built on the belief that the best conservation actions are those that benefit local communities and reflect local wisdom. Embracing and contributing to this global target is a powerful opportunity for ASEAN countries to recommit to nature conservation as an essential way of achieving sustainable economic growth.”
KM Reyes, National Geographic Explorer and Co-Founder of the Centre for Sustainability, Philippines, said:
“ASEAN faces very singular issues. Harbouring 20% of the world’s terrestrial and marine life, and one of three major biodiversity and tropical landscapes globally, we are far more densely populated. We are 800 million people, more than the other landscapes, the South American Amazon and African Congo, combined. We boast 3 of the 17 megadiverse countries globally, and yet are 3 of the most consistently vulnerable countries on the planet to extreme climate events since 1999 (Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand). This will only get worse. There could not be a more urgent moment for ASEAN to invest in our Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, proven cost-effective environmental guardians, to protect 30% of our land and oceans."
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The Campaign for Nature works with scientists, Indigenous Peoples, and a growing coalition of over 100 conservation organizations around the world who are calling on policymakers to commit to clear and ambitious targets to be agreed upon at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, China in 2021 to protect at least 30% of the planet by 2030 and working with Indigenous leaders to ensure full respect for Indigenous rights.
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