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Welcome back to the Sustainability Dispatch!

DIRECTORS' COLUMN

Summer is off to a busy start for the EC2 team, and work has taken us to Mexico and Brazil as we continue to highlight issues related to marine conservation, urban sustainability and climate resilience. As Latin America faces increasing climate threats, from more frequent hurricanes to prolonged droughts, the health and sustainability of our natural capital are paramount to increase communities’ long-term climate resilience. Take a read on some of our efforts to foster collaboration and sharing of best practices around some of these crucial topics.

Convenings

Cities Forward Initiative – Urban Hemispheric Dialogue on Climate Adaptation and Resilience

Last week, the Institute of the Americas launched the Cities Forward (CF) Hemispheric Dialogue on Climate Adaptation and Resilience in São Paulo, Brazil, in collaboration with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC), and with the support of the U.S. Department of State (DOS). The event began with a welcoming reception hosted by CAF – the Latin America and Caribbean Development Bank.  Speakers included representatives from the DOS and a special recorded message from Ricardo Gomes, Vice Mayor of Porto Alegre.

The Dialogue, attended by over 80 participants, was strategically timed before the 2024 ICLEI World Congress, serving as a platform for city representatives and experts to share case studies and best practices in addressing climate challenges. Sessions featured insights from experts and academics across the Americas and included themes on: Nature Based Solutions and reforestation; housing risks and ecosystem-based adaptation; critical water infrastructure; and leveraging technology for adaptation. Look at our photo album here!

The next Hemispheric Dialogue will be held in Washington, D.C., in 2025 featuring innovative technologies and solutions to climate risks and sustainability.

Un Día por los Mares - Catalyzing the 30x30 Agenda in Latin America

Along with Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación A.C. in Mexico, we celebrated World Oceans Day with an afternoon of dialogue to catalyze multisectoral discussions on marine conservation. The goal was to inspire different sectors to take actions that bring us closer to the goals established by the 30×30 agenda—agreed to by UN signatory countries in late 2022.

With over 160 attendees representing academia, conservation, government and private sectors, we are confident that the three discussion sessions we held—on financing, the role of scuba diving in conservation, and the status of MPAs in Mexico—will undoubtedly push stakeholders to continue exploring and implementing innovative environmental policies and efforts related to marine conservation and financing opportunities.

We are grateful to the Museo de Historia Natural y Cultura Ambiental in Mexico City for allowing us to use its oceans pavilion for the second edition of the event, to our sponsors for making it all possible, and to all of our amazing speakers for sharing their insights.

You can visit the website here for a summary of the convening and a photo album. Soon we will be publishing interviews with our speakers, so, stay tuned!

 

Publications

 
 

In 2022, 196 nations committed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, targeting the protection of 30% of land and oceans by 2030 to combat biodiversity loss and climate change. This ambitious 30x30 goal requires unprecedented collaboration between public, private, and philanthropic sectors to catalyze the needed resources, as current protected areas cover only 17% of land and 8% of oceans.

Key initiatives, such as the UN High Seas Treaty, and the Mangrove Breakthrough, are vital to achieving these targets. As Colombia hosts biodiversity COP16 later this year, nations must leverage these frameworks and innovative financing schemes to drive actionable strategies, ensuring a nature-positive future.

Consult this brief, prepared by IOA’s non-resident fellow Carlos Eduardo Correa Escaf in celebration of the World’s Oceans Day, to know more.

 

In the News

Un Día por los Mares

From EC2’s Director Tania Miranda

About EC2

The Institute of the Americas’ Environment & Climate Change Program (EC2) strives to catalyze climate leadership amongst the private sector and local/regional governments in the Americas, to promote sustainable growth, tackle climate change and minimize environmental impacts in the region with the goal of protecting its rich marine and land-based natural capital. 

You can explore other things the Institute is working on through our website and following us on social media!

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