Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, has united with fellow members of the Campaign for Nature Global Steering Committee, urging governments worldwide to uphold their pledges and allocate $20 billion by 2030.

The collective appeal seeks to ensure that indigenous communities and local populations, who are the frontline guardians of our natural world, receive due attention for comprehensive development.

Issuing a compelling statement on August 16, 2023, the Campaign for Nature Global Steering Committee, a distinguished assembly of prominent figures including former heads of state, ministers, diplomats, and scientists, has emerged as a driving force in advocating for nature preservation.

This eminent group has long championed the 30×30 objective, which aims to safeguard 30% of the Earth’s terrestrial and aquatic regions by 2030, while respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Addressing world leaders directly, the Committee’s open letter underscores the need for intensified efforts to bolster biodiversity funding, with a special focus on directing a larger share of resources toward Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

These groups, instrumental in conserving 80% of global biodiversity, receive less than 1% of available funding. The letter further highlights the commitment made at COP15 to escalate international financing from developed to developing nations to reach a minimum of $20 billion by 2025.

The Committee’s statement emphasizes that ambitious targets to halt and reverse the loss of nature must be accompanied by substantial financial support.

With biodiversity primarily concentrated in developing nations, the recommended $20 billion annual allocation represents a notable twofold increase from the current status quo. Achieving this crucial milestone by 2025 is viewed as a vital initial step in fulfilling the promise of conserving Earth’s biodiversity and effectively implementing the Montreal Agreement.

Amid positive developments such as the Summit for a Global Financing Pact and the approval of a new Global Biodiversity Fund by the GEF Council in June, the Committee urges global leaders to escalate their commitment to nature financing.

It emphasizes that the present moment demands unwavering dedication to global environmental leadership, reinforcing financial commitments, making courageous policy decisions, and fostering partnerships with developing nations to ensure the protection and restoration of nature both domestically and internationally.