From June 11 to 13, the G7 (Group of Seven) visited Cornwall for their annual summit. We saw leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States meet to discuss climate change, trade and the global recovery from Covid-19. RSPB England Campaigner Lucy Hodson guides us through the summit.
What happened?
For the first time the G7 has made a nature-positive commitment to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by 2030; appearing in the form of the G7 Nature Compact.
This is unprecedented. Never before we have seen nature prioritised in a way that recognises the importance of a healthy natural world for tackling climate change and for a safe and equitable future for all.
This commitment comes at a crucial time, when the world is highly anticipating two pivotal negotiations on nature (CBD COP15) and on climate (UNFCCC COP26) this Autumn. Both of these negotiations hope to raise ambition to tackle the biodiversity and the climate crisis, and the Nature Compact can take us a step in the right direction.
So what exactly is in the Nature Compact?
The Nature Compact is an agreement that seeks to unite G7 countries in taking action to turn around losses in biodiversity. It contains four pillars of commitments:
RSPB Hayle Estuary which is down the road from Carbis Bay, where the G7 summit was held.
Here’s what it says, and what we think….
On deforestation and the footprint of the things we buy and import:
The Nature Compact makes a welcome commitment to tackle issues like deforestation by supporting sustainable supply chains. Everything we buy, use and import has a footprint; both on the climate and nature. It’s vital that regulation holds companies up and down the supply chain liable for deforestation, as well as having robust regulatory due diligence – like that being introduced in the UK and Europe – although the UK’s approach could be strengthened significantly. We also need adequate financial support for the transition to sustainable and just agricultural systems.
As it stands, the Compact lacks this specificity and the clear timeframes needed to send a clear signal to markets. The G7 Trade and Environment Ministries will meet again ahead of UNFCCC COP26 to agree on next steps – this is a positive signal but does not guarantee that meaningful action will follow.
On a nature-positive economy:
There is a welcome commitment to ensure that the overseas aid budget, known as Official Development Assistance (ODA) does no harm to nature. We now need to define what nature positive ODA would mean in practice.
Despite some positive wording and good intentions - there is still a lack of new commitments to public finance for nature. This is urgently needed to give other countries the confidence going into COP15 and COP26 that the G7 are serious about implementing targets for nature and will commit tangible resources to support others to do the same.
On nature conservation and restoration:
We welcome the commitment to support global targets to protect 30% of land and seas by 2030, both effectively and equitably. The G7 have committed to lead by example through domestic implementation of these targets; meaning each country will have to demonstrate nature restoration at home.
As recognised in the Compact, we need to see urgent action alongside these commitments, in order to stop ecosystem destruction and degradation, halt extinctions, and recover species population abundance. We now need to ensure this ambition is embedded in the global agreement for nature under the Convention on Biological Diversity at COP15 negotiations this Autumn.
On accountability:
The compact includes a commitment to review progress every 5 years – we welcome this dedication to transparency – the G7 need to be held to account against their promises. As stated in the compact it is imperative that this is done in line with strengthening the review and implementation mechanisms under the CBD and other frameworks.
The Nature Compact is a step forward and should be celebrated. But, as we have seen many times, words don’t often turn into action and results. In fact, new research from the Natural History Museum, in collaboration with the RSPB, puts the UK at the bottom of the G7 league table for how much biodiversity it has left. That means we have lost the most nature out of any of the G7 countries.
As it stands, the UK has a chance to affirm the positive intentions set out in the Nature Compact by setting clear action for nature in the Environment Bill. Missing this opportunity is setting the UK up to fail its own commitments for nature and biodiversity before 2030.
Nature is still in crisis. The promises made now need to be turned from rhetoric into a reality – we can’t call it global leadership if these are just empty words. We need the G7 to implement these commitments at home, and also work with other countries globally to mobilise new finance and capacity to support developing countries, and put in place the conditions for delivering an ambitious post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.