New York – Humanity is pushing our planet to a breaking point but there is still time to act if we want to avoid a catastrophic environmental, economic, and social consequences, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warns, as it launches its registration for its three-day virtual “Nature for Life Hub” in the lead up to the UN Biodiversity Summit from 7 - 19 December 2022 in Montreal.

Taking place just after the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt, and just before the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), the Nature for Life Hub three-day virtual event, from 28 - 30 November is positioned to build on what was missed at COP27 and what needs to happen at COP15, as world leaders negotiate the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

Free and open to the public, the Nature for Life Hub produced by UNDP with more than 50 partners, and provides a unique, interactive experience for participants to “choose-your-own-adventure” throughout the virtual event space where they can dive into topics such as systems change for nature, greening finance, and the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Around 200 participants are expected to speak at the Hub from government, non-profits, civil society, businesses, Indigenous peoples, and youth, with the aim of building momentum for nature so that Montreal becomes nature’s “Paris moment.”

Each day of the Nature for Life Hub will focus on a specific theme consisting of two three-hour sessions that highlight different essential transformations needed to build a nature-positive future. 

Registration for the event is now open and is available here.

28 November - Nature for Development and Climate. This session will take a deep dive into the structural failures of our global economic development model.  Partners from private philanthropies, international organizations, academia, and the UN system will set the scene on why we must – and how we can - take a systems-level approach to successfully put nature at the heart of sustainable development.

29 November - Financing Nature. The day will unpack why there is a $598-824 billion annual funding gap on biodiversity while emphasizing the practical steps business leaders, financial institutions, and policymakers can take to finance the natural systems that our economy relies on. Featuring multi-national corporations and private sector representatives as well as officials from the UN, this session will focus on practical ways to finance[AM5]  a nature-positive future.

30 November - Creating a Planetary Safety Net. The last day of the hub will celebrate the important work championed by Indigenous peoples and local communities around the world to restore and strengthen our planet’s safety net – nature. The session will feature UNDP’s Equator Prize Award Ceremony, an annual award recognizing community-led efforts to achieve local sustainable development through nature-based solutions.

Stay tuned to the Nature for Life Hub by following @UNDP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Post about the event with #NatureForLife.

For media inquiries please contact Sangita Khadka, email: sangita.khadka@undp.org.

For more information on the Nature for Life Hub three-day event please contact, Joseph Conway, email:  joseph.conway@undp.org.