Two days of dialogue and debate will compel participants to get ready for a strong call to global action. But what action is most urgently needed? So many of us are pleading for transformative change – but what does this require? Experts will discuss the need for a fundamental, system-wide change across technological, economic and social factors, including changing paradigms, goals and values. To achieve this, we must move away from looking at biodiversity as a production factor to seeing it as an integral part of life, without which we cannot survive. Moving from an economy of exploitation to an economy of restoration will require individual and collective behavioural change.
The Closing Plenary will be opened by Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the CBD and will start with a conversation between Christiane Paulus, Director General at BMU, Carla Montesi, Director at DEVCO and Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of GEF, before moving to a dynamic panel of representatives from youth, government, business, civil society and indigenous people.
Participants will join the discussion and contribute to the transformative change which we will initiate here.