Ingredients (feeds 8-10 billion):
- 30 to 50% protected Earth’s ecosystems (you will need terrestrial, freshwater and marine – high-integrity versions taste best)
- Restored ecosystems in degraded areas
- Improved ecosystem management
- Finance sauce, generous amounts
- Respect for Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and knowledges
- Input and leadership from local communities, Indigenous Peoples, youth, women, and beyond
- Ambitious NDCs and NBSAPs
Preparation:
Before you begin, remember: nature is not your kitchen appliance – it’s your co-chef.
- Set the oven to below 1.5ºC by rapidly phasing out all fossil fuels and slashing emissions in all sectors.
- In a large bowl of Global Stocktake, add a hearty dollop of increased ambition to protect and restore land, freshwater, and ocean ecosystems. For optimal results, reference and follow the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Ensure ecosystem protection is added to the bowl ahead of restoration and improved management. (You need them all, but ecosystem protection is the most vital!)
- Spoon in the input from diverse groups.
- Pour NDCs and NBSAPs into the same bowl and carefully stir climate and biodiversity actions until fully combined and an even paste is achieved.
- Add generous amounts of finance sauce including hefty amounts of direct financing for Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
- This part is critical: if you forget the respect for Indigenous People’s rights and sovereignty, the dish will never set.
Pro tip!: Resist the temptation to sprinkle on carbon markets and biodiversity credits. Like artificial sweeteners – they are superficially appealing but detrimental to the true flavour of climate justice.
Serving suggestion: This dish is best paired with a substantial helping of clean renewable fossil-free energy systems – without both of these ingredients on the plate, you will not have a palatable dish. But combined, it will satisfy any appetite for a flourishing habitable world.
Bon appétit!