[Title] G7 2030 Nature Compact
A. We, the G7 Leaders, commit to the global mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. We will act now, building on the G7 Metz Charter on Biodiversity and the Leaders' Pledge for Nature, championing their delivery, to help set the necessary trajectory for nature to 2030.
B. Through this Compact, we commit to supporting global consensus and to taking bold action for delivery of ambitious outcomes for nature in 2021 at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15 in Kunming and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP26 in Glasgow in particular. Climate change is one key driver of biodiversity loss, and protecting, conserving and restoring biodiversity is crucial to addressing climate change. Ahead of COP15 and COP26, as we embark upon this pivotal decade, we commit to tackle these interdependent and mutually reinforcing crises in an integrated manner, thereby contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and a green, inclusive and resilient recovery from COVID-19.
C. Global system-wide change is required: our world must not only become net zero, but also nature positive, for the benefit of both people and the planet, with a focus on promoting sustainable and inclusive development. Nature, and the biodiversity that underpins it, ultimately sustains our economies, livelihoods and well-being – our decisions must take into account the true value of the goods and services we derive from it. The lives and livelihoods of today's youth and future generations rely on this.
D. As advanced economies and major consumers within global supply chains and markets, we recognise our unique role and acknowledge the negative and unsustainable impact our economic activity can have on nature and wildlife, abroad as well as at home. Therefore, we commit to working collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to drive global system change that works for all, prioritising the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities in co-design, decision-making and implementation, and recognising the interests of vulnerable and marginalised groups including people living in poverty, women and girls, people with disabilities, and youth.
E. Considering the impact of COVID-19 on public health, the economy, food systems, and nature, we recognise that the mission to tackle biodiversity loss is inherently connected with those to protect human, wildlife, and animal health and to prevent future pandemics. Therefore we endorse the work of the G7 One Health Working Group and will join, on a voluntary basis, the International Zoonoses Community of Experts (IZCE) established under the UK Presidency. We also welcome the newly-created One Health High Level Expert Panel.
F. Throughout the next decade, we will each mobilise on a whole-of-Government basis to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, with action across four core pillars: (1) transition; (2) investment; (3) conservation; and (4) accountability.
PILLAR ONE / Leading the Transition to sustainable and legal use of natural resources
We will shift incentives and use all appropriate levers to address unsustainable and illegal activities negatively impacting nature.
(1A) Tackling deforestation, including by supporting sustainable supply chains and demonstrating clear domestic action: we welcome the commitment of Trade Ministers to work with Environment and other ministries, to share best practice and consider any appropriate domestic actions - including, if appropriate, development of due diligence requirements - to support sustainable supply chains that decouple agricultural production from deforestation and forest degradation, including from illegal land conversion. We task these ministries to jointly hold an initial meeting ahead of COP26 later this year. This action will complement our wider international collaboration, including enhanced cooperation with producer countries.
(1B) Participating in and supporting the COP26 Forest, Agriculture and Commodities Trade dialogue: we will champion the collaborative effort between consumer and producer countries to advance global and regional sustainable supply chains, protecting, conserving, and sustainably managing forests and other ecosystems, while promoting sustainable trade and development
(1C) Acknowledging the harmful effect of some subsidies on the environment and the need to reform policies with recognised negative impacts on nature: we commit to lead by example by reviewing relevant domestic policies as soon as possible, according to national circumstances, and will take action as appropriate to develop replacements that are nature positive. Globally we will work to accelerate an inclusive transition to sustainable and climate resilient agriculture, including through the COP26 policy dialogue on accelerating Transition to Sustainable Agriculture where relevant.
(1D) Stepping up our efforts at home and overseas to counter crimes that affect the environment: we will recognise and tackle illicit threats to nature such as the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) as serious organised crimes, including intensifying efforts to combat money laundering of the criminal proceeds of these crimes. With the support of Finance Ministers, we are implementing and strengthening registries of company beneficial ownership information to provide better access to information for law enforcement agencies and competent authorities in tackling illicit finance, also noting the benefits of making beneficial ownership information public where possible. Building on progress being made on this issue by the relevant Ministers, we task them to respond as appropriate to the Financial Action Task Force proposed actions to identify, assess and address money laundering risks relating to IWT, reporting on progress at the Interior Ministerial in September. We will engage with civil society and the private sector ahead of this, to maximise the creativity and ambition of these groups in tackling these challenges.
(1E) Addressing the adverse impact of human activity, such as litter and unsustainable fishing practices, on the marine environment: building on the Osaka Blue Ocean Vision, we will accelerate action to tackle the increasing levels of plastic pollution in the ocean from all sources - land and marine - including by working through the UN Environment Assembly on options including strengthening existing instruments and a potential new global agreement or other instrument to address marine plastic litter, including at UNEA-5. We will also work with or support the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI). We recognise the importance of international action to deter and end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including through support to developing countries, and we commit to concluding ongoing WTO negotiations as swiftly as possible to prohibit certain harmful fisheries subsidies that contribute to overfishing, overcapacity and IUU fishing.
PILLAR TWO / Investing in nature and driving a nature positive economy
We will work to dramatically increase investment in nature from all sources, and to ensure nature is accounted for, and mainstreamed, in economic and financial decision-making.
(2A) Tasking our Finance and other relevant Ministries to work together to identify ways to account for nature in economic and financial planning and decision-making: we encourage other countries and non-state actors to follow suit and consider the footprint of economic activity on biodiversity. We welcome the Dasgupta Review on the Economics of Biodiversity and the related OECD Policy Guide on Biodiversity. We will draw on their findings, as appropriate, identifying actions including those outlined below.
(2B) Working intensively towards increasing finance for nature from all sources throughout the next five years: in particular, we commit to increase our finance contributions for nature-based solutions through to 2025. Recognising the multiple benefits investing in nature brings we will maximise the synergies of climate and biodiversity finance and promote funding that has co-benefits for climate and nature.
(2C) Working to ensure that our international development assistance does no harm to nature, and delivers positive outcomes overall for people, climate and nature.
(2D) Encouraging all Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), International Finance Institutions and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to embed nature into their analysis, policy dialogue and operations: we call on MDBs and DFIs to increase and mobilise finance for nature; and MDBs to sign a Joint Statement on nature ahead of COP26 as appropriate. This will complement MDB efforts to align with Paris Agreement goals.
(2E) Working with finance, industry and business leaders: including through formal and informal partnerships such as the Terra Carta and the Sustainable Markets Initiative instigated by HRH Prince of Wales, and the One Planet Summit coalitions on sustainable finance, to drive a nature-positive shift by fully investing in natural capital and embedding consideration of nature-related risk. We look forward to the establishment of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and its recommendations.
PILLAR THREE / Protecting, Conserving and Restoring nature, including through ambitious global targets
We will support and drive the protection, conservation and restoration of ecosystems critical to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, and to tackle climate change.
(3A) Supporting new global targets to conserve or protect at least 30% of global land and at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030 as a critical foundation for the conservation and restoration efforts required this decade: we will advocate for improved quality, effectiveness and connectivity of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), and recognise Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities as full partners in the implementation of these targets. We will lead by example, effectively conserving or protecting at least the same percentage of our national land, including terrestrial and inland waters, and coastal and marine areas by 2030, according to national circumstances and approaches, including, where appropriate, with legislation and adequate resourcing and enforcement to drive delivery.
(3B) Supporting agreement and delivery of targets to prevent the loss, fragmentation and degradation of ecosystems and to restore significant areas of degraded and converted ecosystems: in support of the UN Decade on Ecosystems Restoration, we support ambitious initiatives driving delivery of these goals, for example the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel. We also reaffirm our commitment to strive to end the loss of natural forest by 2030, as per our commitment in the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests and Sustainable Development Goal 15, and recognise the value of blue carbon ecosystems.
(3C) Working together to agree and meet targets to increase the abundance of species populations worldwide, significantly reduce overall species extinction risk and eventually stop human-induced extinctions.
(3D) Driving increased global cooperation on the ocean, recognising that two thirds is outside of national jurisdiction: in support of increased ocean protection and conservation this decade, we will work to conclude the negotiation of a new and ambitious international legally binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, if possible by the end of 2021. We also fully support the commitment of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to develop a representative system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Convention area in the Southern Ocean based on the best available scientific evidence, and the proposals to establish new MPAs in East Antarctica, the Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula.
(3E) Supporting the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development: endorsing the G7 Ocean Decade Navigation Plan to drive developments in transformational ocean science to protect and further our sustainable relationship with the ocean. As part of this work we will convene scientific and policy experts to discuss the carbon absorption function of the ocean, furthering targeted and effective ocean action.
PILLAR FOUR / Prioritising Accountability and implementation of commitments for nature
We will hold ourselves to account for taking domestic and global action for nature.
(4A) Implementing the Compact: we will embed its commitments in national plans as relevant, raise ambition wherever possible, and hold ourselves to account for delivering effective action integrated with that to support climate change mitigation and adaptation.
(4B) Reviewing our progress against the Compact regularly: through existing G7 mechanisms, including at the G7 Leaders' Summit in five years when we will review options to ratchet up our action and ambition, as needed, to ensure delivery of our 2030 vision.
(4C) Driving strengthened accountability and implementation mechanisms of all Multilateral Environmental Agreements to which we are parties: in particular, those G7 members Party to the CBD will champion, as part of an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework: (i) the production of ambitious and strengthened national plans from all Parties; (ii) more transparent metrics and success indicators; and (iii) more robust monitoring and reporting.
With the adoption of this Compact...
We commit to take strong and integrated global action on nature and climate, working alongside political leaders and other actors to drive ambitious outcomes for nature in 2021 at the CBD COP15, UNFCCC COP26 and the UN Ocean Conference, as well as at the UN Environment Assembly and the UN Convention on Combating Desertification in 2022. We will continue to increase our efforts throughout this critical decade.