The workshop gathered over 200 participants from states, cities, local authorities, the private sector, academia and civil society including biosphere reserves councils. It drew on their policy implementation experience to frame their expectations as to the next global biodiversity policy framework.
Discussions were organized around five thematic roundtables, respectively on ecosystem restoration, land-use and connectivity, wildlife-prone sustainable production and consumption, circular economy and nature-based solutions, and environmental education and awareness raising. Their output fed in the Letter of Sao Paulo that assessed their needs and recommendations for a sound biodiversity framework promoting the vertical harmonization and mainstreaming of policies.
“From São Paulo, these policies have to be spread across Brazil. We need the Carta of São Paulo to be the one of Brazil, our commitment for biodiversity and a fairer world for our children and grandchildren.” Marcos Penido, Secretary of Environment and Infrastructure of São Paulo state.
The workshop built on the momentum of strategic events that paved the way towards the further mobilization of subnational governments, cities and metropolis for CBD COP15. It developed the Common road map for cities, metropolitan areas, local and subnational governments towards “Living in Harmony with Nature” – Strengthening the momentum for a Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework adopted at The Nature Of Cities summit (Paris, June 2019), and the Aburrá Valley – Medellin Declaration of Metropolitan Areas to the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the event Unlocking the power of metropolises to mainstream biodiversity and ecosystem services for nature and people (Medellin, July 2019), pursuing further incentives for local actors to submit their commitments on the CitiesWithNature platform, formally endorsed by the CBD.
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