At the 74th United Nations General Assembly, Costa Rica and a handful of other countries announced their intention to form a coalition for nature.
The idea behind the HAC for N&P was officially introduced in the PreCOP25, held in Costa Rica in October 2019, by ministers from co-chairs Costa Rica and France along with the United Kingdom, Finland, Gabon, the United Arab Emirates, and Grenada.
In December 2019, Costa Rica and France hosted a ‘Pioneers Meeting’ in Madrid at the UNFCCC COP25, where countries aligned on focus areas, structure, and a roadmap and formally committed to the goals of the HAC for N&P.
The HAC for N&P officially launched with over 50 members at the One Planet Summit on 11 January 2021. The United Kingdom is officially named as the Ocean Co-Chair.
The first meeting of the HAC for N&P International Steering Committee takes place at UNGA77 in New York.
Parties to the CBD adopt landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which incudes the adoption of Target 3 – “Ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas, and of marine and coastal areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, recognizing indigenous and traditional territories, where applicable, and integrated into wider landscapes, seascapes and the ocean, while ensuring that any sustainable use, where appropriate in such areas, is fully consistent with conservation outcomes, recognizing and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including over their traditional territories.”
Since then we have grown considerably and now count 118 countries as members.
Following COP15, with the support of the donor partners and our International Steering Committee, we have been able to formalize as an organization and form a secretariat focused on supporting its members in implementing the 30×30 target. We are currently co-hosted by the GEF and World Resources Institute in Washington DC.
What is the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People?
The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC for N&P) is an intergovernmental group of 118 countries co-chaired by Costa Rica and France. The Coalition aims to deliver upon the global deal to protect 30% of the planet’s land and 30% of the ocean by 2030, which was agreed upon at COP15. The 30×30 goal will halt the accelerating species loss and protect the vital ecosystems that safeguard human health and economic security.
How many governments have joined the HAC for N&P?
The HAC for N&P’s membership currently includes 118 governments across Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas. A full list can be found here.
What are the HAC for N&P’s specific goals?
The HAC for N&P was pivotal in securing a global agreement to effectively conserve and manage at least 30% of the planet’s land and 30% of the ocean by 2030 at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, known as the “30×30 target”.
Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are protectors of the most biodiverse sites in the world. To effectively and equitably meet 30×30, IPLCs should be engaged as partners in the design and management of these conserved areas, while ensuring free, prior, and informed consent and alignment with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The HAC for N&P created a task force to address IPLC concerns and promote indigenous wisdom in the CBD negotiations. This task force initiated a dialogue with the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity.
The HAC N&P also promoted nature-based solutions within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and supported the adoption of key elements of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework at COP15. In particular, we work towards the effective management of protected and conserved areas, increased public and private financing to ensure their long-term management and local governance, and efficient implementation mechanisms to put nature on a path to recovery by 2030.
Our focus now is supporting our members to deliver on the commitments made at COP15 in order to halt the further loss of nature and conserve our vital ecosystems.
Why 30 x 30?
Our future depends on preventing the collapse of the natural systems that provide our food, clean water, clean air, and a stable climate. In order to preserve these crucial services for our sustainable economies, we must protect enough of the natural world to sustain them. A growing body of scientific research has shown that half of the planet must be kept in a natural state in order to address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Experts agree that a scientifically credible and necessary interim goal is to achieve a minimum of 30% protection by 2030.
How much of the planet is already protected?
Currently, an estimated 15% of the world’s land and 7% of the ocean are protected.
What are the economic benefits of protecting nature?
The benefits of protecting 30% of the planet outweigh the costs by a ratio of at least 5-to-1, according to the most comprehensive report to date on the economic implications of protecting nature. The report, which considered various scenarios of protecting at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean, offered new evidence that the nature conservation sector drives economic growth, delivers key non-monetary benefits and is a net contributor to a resilient global economy. Several additional reports have revealed additional benefits, including job creation.
What is our relationship with the Global Ocean Alliance?
The HAC N&Ps support the global target to protect at least 30% of the land and at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. The Global Ocean Alliance (GOA) focuses on the global target to protect at least 30% of the ocean, in order to provide an important space to raise the profile of the ocean within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Our organizations work together closely to ensure that both groups work in harmony to increase reach and reduce any duplication. With both pushing in the same direction, it increases the likelihood that 30×30 is achieved.
What is our relationship with IIFB?
The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) is a long-standing partner of the HAC for N&P. In the run-up to COP15, the HAC for N&P created a dedicated task force in partnership with the IIFB in order to establish an ongoing dialogue between IPLC representatives and HAC for N&P members. This led to specific recommendations from the members concerning the introduction of collectively built wording on IPLC rights within the 30×30 target. During COP15, the task force was particularly active to seek consensus and bring concrete wording proposals to the table. Since then, the IIFB has nominated a dedicated HAC N&P focal point to continue strengthening the links between the two initiatives with the aim of involving IPLC representatives in the Coalition activities and strategy development for implementing this global target.