This week scientists from around the world are warning governments not to repeat past mistakes over nature and to avoid trade-offs between people and conservation needs.
The Cop25 conference which began in Montreal on Tuesday, hopes to set goals for the world for the next decade to help conserve the planet's biodiversity and stem the loss of nature. So far, the world has failed to meet goals which were set at previous meetings.
The scientists proposed six areas of action for delegates working toward what is known as the global biodiversity framework. They include greater involvement of local communities and addressing both direct causes of nature decline such as the destruction of land and habitats as well as indirect causes such as climate change.
In the report, scientists repeatedly called for officials to be “nature and people-positive” in their approach, highlighting the need for solutions that are realistic and have support from local communities in order to best protect nature. Greater inclusion of communities and particularly Indigenous groups will be vital in curbing even more biodiversity loss.
Indigenous rights groups led by Survival International and Amnesty International agreed that local communities were central to protecting local biodiversity.