The IUCN World Congress is well underway. This gathering acts as a hub for the latest thinking on biodiversity conservation and recovery, climate adaptation and indigenous knowledge. 

One panel discussion has been addressing the risks of climate overshoot.

It’s no secret that the climate system is in deep trouble. Current projections show that Governments are unlikely to hold climate change to 1.5-degree rise (the climate overshoot).

A panel of international experts addressed how nature-based solutions can both:

• reduce that temperate rise (by reducing emissions to the atmosphere or by reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere), and
• help to adapt to the consequences of climate overshoot

How to bridge the skills gap

Puyr Tembé - an Indigenous female leader of the State of Pará in Brazil - spoke about the finance and skills gaps that become ever more obvious as the climate overshoot intensifies. This has particular relevance in a country like Brazil, where climate change adaptation skills are not prevalent outside Indigenous communities. 

To resolve this, in Pará State they have created Indigenous community consulates within the rainforests where all - including women and children - are able to engage in forest restoration measures. This allows indigenous peoples that have the skills required for forest restoration to teach others how to restore forests.

Collaboration is still key

Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change for Vanuatu, was asked the question, "Is the Paris Agreement Dead?". No, was Ralph's answer. He did note that the Convention has been in trouble over all its years of operation but, through collaboration and understanding, we are perhaps heading towards 'peak carbon' as renewables replace oil and gas for energy. 

In essence, multilateralism (countries working together) still works despite its current challenges. 

We can see parallels in this international discussion to the work of The Wildlife Trusts. 

From the international stage to local action

First, we need to understand and communicate the severity and intensity of the climate and nature crisis. 

Secondly, previous approaches almost certainly need updating. For example, we may have to accept a swap from ‘conservation management to achieve fixed outcomes’ (traditional protected area management) to ‘intervening to restore natural processes without any fixed ideas on conservation outcomes’ (a rewilding approach).

We see also why community engagement is so important for our work. 

The best ways of restoring nature will almost always be co-designed with those that live in that area. 

But finance is fundamental - whether at a state level via the climate change convention agreements or at a local level (for us, often charitable donations or green finance).