Excellencies, colleagues, friends, 

Our species has caused devastating damage across the natural world. 

But, we are also nature’s greatest problem-solvers and innovators. 

And we are capable of extraordinary collaboration.

No other species has demonstrated our capacity to empathize with the lives of far future generations, those living in far distant geographies or living very different lives to our own. 

We need to remember this. 

Because nothing will advance without people. 

Nothing without all people represented, 

And without knocking open the doors for people most impacted by environmental change, often with the most insight and knowledge to offer. 

And, we need not just people who have given their life’s work to conservation but those who have given their life’s work to poverty eradication, to health, to peace and security. 

Because the nature agenda is not just the other side of the coin of the climate crisis, it is the other side of thriving, successful human development. 

Achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will reconcile development and environmental agendas. 

It will shift the value of nature, how we account for and measure it. 

It will mainstream biodiversity into national agendas and economic sectors and ensure we set course to live in harmony with nature. 

Turning the targets and goals into reality is not just possible, it is already happening: 

In Colombia---our COP host country—for example, UNDP is supporting FINAGRO, Colombia’s national development bank for the agricultural sector to green 100% of its credits and investments by 2026. They have prioritized six of their biggest value chains. 

This represents a significant share of the value of Colombia's agricultural production. 

It will ensure that loans granted comply with sustainable production standards and actively promote positive effects on biodiversity. 

Scaled-up, tangible, enduring change. 

And they’re not alone. 

UNDP is committed to supporting 140 countries achieve their targets and goals of the KMGBF, turning ambition into reality through three systemic shifts: 

-A value shift 

-An economic and finance shift and 

-A policy and practice shift. 

This is because we know it takes deeply interconnected solutions not just across the triple planetary crisis but across the widest agenda of sustainable development. 

We have a roadmap to 2030, to 2050 and beyond. 

Let’s stay the course. 

Together I know we have the extraordinary capacity to get it done. 

For a thriving, peaceful future on a healthy planet. 

Thank you