ZSL's COP27 Position Statement

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – COP27 – ZSL’s Position  

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) sets out the basic legal framework and principles for international cooperation and action against climate change. Following COP26 in Glasgow last year, COP27 will be primarily focused on the task of moving pledges and commitments into domestic implementation and the scaling up of global decarbonisation efforts.  

ZSL’s work with the UNFCCC is focused on building bridges between the often-siloed work of biodiversity, nature, and climate change, in highlighting the role of nature as an integral climate solution, with a particular focus on the role of nature-based solutions and rewilding. At COP27, ZSL will work to highlight how nature can be utilised by member states in delivering on their climate and decarbonisation commitments. We will also focus on the importance of instilling biodiversity benefits within all Nature Based Solutions and highlight the role of nature in scaling up international adaptation and resilience against the impacts of climate change 

We hope and encourage COP27 will see an increase in the scale and pace of decarbonisation, but alongside this must also be a prioritisation and investment in nature as a climate solution. Nature can, and should, be understood as a vital tool in the task of combatting climate change, not only in its capacity as a carbon store, but also as a mechanism for increasing resilience and adaptation across environments to protect humans, their communities, and livelihoods. There must be a joint effort, in commitment and funding, to protecting and restoring natural systems alongside the drastic reduction in fossil fuel emissions. Only a combined approach can see the survival of our natural earth systems that will ensure human and planetary thriving. 

ZSL is calling on world leaders to put nature at the heart of global decision making at COP27 in the embracing of Nature-based solutions that can provide a multitude of benefits from carbon sequestration to habitat protection and restoration, to opportunities for income creation for local communities.

Read the full version of ZSL's COP27 position statement 

The key policy areas where ZSL would like progress to be made at COP27 are as follows:

Rapid decarbonisation 

• Large-scale scaling up of NDC’s and national implementation plans towards a rapid reduction in greenhouse gas emissions  

Integrating biodiversity and climate change agendas and the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) 

• Initiatives to address the chronic underfunding of global biodiversity conservation.  

• Global commitments to and investments in Biodiversity positive Nature based solutions  

• Increased awareness of the co-benefits of NBS in both sequestration and building climate resilience and commitments to integrating biodiversity and climate change agendas.  

• Global commitments to investment in nature alongside rapid decarbonisation 

• Investment in the role of nature and rewilding in urban areas 

Climate and Nature Financing 

• The delivery of promised finance from developed to developing countries:  

• Fast and equitable roll out of pledged nature financing commitments 

• A scaling up of financing for nature 

Loss and Damage (L&D) 

• Increased mobilisation of commitments and action to Loss and Damage financing  

• Awareness of the vital role of nature in Loss and Damage                                                                                                         

• The establishment of a new loss and damage finance facility within the UNFCCC.  

• Building resilience for vulnerable states against the effects of climate change through investment in nature.