303. Heritage Colombia-HeCo: nature at the heart of climate change and sustainable development: 11:45am – 12:45pm

Event time: 11:45am – 12:45pm
Location: Workshop area North, Central Park Zoo, New York
Event organizer: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world. With this privileged position comes great responsibility regarding the environmental, social and economic challenges the world is facing today. For this reason, Colombia has adopted several ambitious commitments at the national and international levels related to biodiversity, climate change and SDGs, to deliver conservation results as a solution for the human wellbeing.

The event will showcase HeCo as the national flagship program to increase the long term financing and capacity of the Colombian National System of Protected Areas and other conservation strategies, with a landscape approach. HeCo will contribute to the management of important ecosystems and their services, reducing deforestation and degradation in the country’s carbon-rich ecosystems, such as the Amazon, Andean and Pacific forests.

The event will have the participation of high-level representatives from the Colombian government and other public-private partners as panelists, and Strategic actors will be invited to boost the program’s financing and implementation as an ambitious action to deliver on the country’s commitments related to climate change, biodiversity and the SDGs. The event will target an audience comprised of potential public and private donors, international financial organizations, civil society, among others.

This session will include a series of TED-style 6-minute talks, each will be about different ‘Big Ideas’ related to nature-based solutions at the nexus of climate, biodiversity and sustainable development.

1. Mountain communities harnessing ecosystems to adapt to climate change

2. Standardising Nature-based Solutions

3. Civil Society Participation in NDC Development – Decision tools for Land Sector Ambition by Peter Riggs, CLARA

4. Understanding the transformational power of nature-based solutions to address climate change impacts

5. Business for Nature Creating the Regenerative Economy – Business as a driver of systems change by Nigel Topping, We Mean Business

Partners/Sponsors: National Natural Parks of Colombia, Patrimonio Natural, Conservación Internacional Colombia, Moore Foundation