While at the halfway point of the 17th UN Conference on Biodiversity (COP17) in Yerevan, Olaf Bandt, chairman of BUND, called for greater urgency in implementing the Global Nature Agreement. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, Bandt stated that Environmental Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) needs to advocate in Yerevan for the conference to significantly accelerate the execution of the global nature compact. According to Bandt, effective agreements are essential for reaching the goals of protecting and restoring biodiversity by 2030, and these agreements must allow for a fast and improved rollout of the Global Nature Agreement.
The requested measures include phasing out harmful environmental subsidies, halting economic activities that damage nature, and establishing 30 percent protected areas both on land and in the sea, done in cooperation with local communities. Bandt further emphasized that intact nature is indispensable for survival, meaning that exploiting nature should no longer be profitable. Additionally, he stressed that the German government must establish a political framework ensuring that the consumption of energy, resources, and land within Germany is lowered to a level that is acceptable to nature and the climate. Minister Schneider had traveled to Yerevan for the second half of COP17.
