Island Innovation Daily COP26 Bulletin: Humankind’s Relationship with Nature

Today, on this 6th Day of the COP26 Presidency Programme, delegates  will be exploring what many believe to be the key to the climate crisis: humankind’s relationship with Nature. 

The agenda today will focus on ensuring the importance of nature and sustainable land use are part of global action on climate change and a clean, green recovery.

A healthy and diverse ecosystem is inherently linked to the health of the human species, and one of the reasons for this is that we depend on the many services that ecosystems provide, such as fresh water, fertile soil, pollination, medicine and food.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) involve working with nature to address societal challenges, providing benefits for both human well-being and biodiversity. They are actions that involve the protection, restoration or management of natural  ecosystems; or the creation of novel ecosystems in and around cities. 

Climate change and urbanisation combine to place increasing pressure on interconnected island-based terrestrial and ocean ecosystems vital for subsistence, livelihoods, and wellbeing. Pacific island governments are increasingly prioritising Nature-based Solutions such as ecosystem-based adaptation in their national climate change policies and government priorities.

A significant project active recently in Vanuatu (and also Fiji and Solomon Islands) is the Pacific Ecosystems-based Adaptation to Climate Change (PEBACC) project. PEBACC involved four key stages: 1) ecosystem and socio-economic resilience analysis and mapping; 2) EbA options assessments; 3) development of EbA implementation plans; and then 4) implementation of pilot projects.

One of the most valuable aspects of protecting nature, and ensuring sustainable land use is the fact that a healthy relationship with nature and biodiversity forms an integral part of the culture and identity of many island communities, and helps to cultivate a balanced and positive mindset. Today’s programme will provide the COP delegates with the opportunity to give back to this beautiful planet that we call home.

Key themes for COP26

News and key insights

NEXT WEEK: Caribbean Sustainability and Prosperity: Climate Finance as a Driver for Climate Action

In partnership with The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator

Wednesday 10 November – 10:00am EST, 15:00 GMT
Duration: 1.5 hours

There are a wide range of opportunities for sustainable development projects in the Caribbean region – but for them to be successful there needs to be greater access to finance. What projects are being unveiled in the region, and where can they source funding to support their vision? The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator seeks to unlock financing for sustainable solutions in a bid to create the world’s first climate-smart zone. With climate adaptation and mitigation funding for island and developing nations set to be a core topic at COP26, now is the time to move towards action for the region.

Today’s Island-related events