Humanity must tackle the biggest risks to biodiversity loss and climate change at the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron told an environmental conference on Friday.
The key message of this year's World Conservation Congress in Marseille is how disappearing species and the destruction of ecosystems are no less important than climate change.
“There is no vaccine for a sick planet,” Mr Macron said at the opening of the conference.
“The battle for the climate - against climate change - is twinned with the battle to preserve and restore biodiversity,” Mr Macron said.
He detailed the urgent need to eliminate pesticides, end plastic pollution and the use of raw materials linked to deforestation.
World leaders must agree on goals and financial commitments for nature as well as on those for the climate, he said.
Mr Macron said he also wants the polar regions to be considered common global assets.
“Reinforcements are on the way,” said Harrison Ford, speaking on behalf of Conservation International.
“It's hard to read the headlines: floods, fires, famines, plagues and tell your children that everything is all right. It's not all right!” he said.
The conference, organised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), brings together 160 countries, local governments, non-governmental organisations and indigenous groups with the aim of establishing binding global agreements to protect life on Earth.
It will focus on efforts to reverse habitat destruction, unsustainable agriculture and mining.
“We are facing huge challenges. We are seeing the climate changing and affecting hugely our societies,” said IUCN chief Bruno Oberle.
“We are seeing biodiversity disappearing and the pandemic hitting our economies, our families, our health.”
The meeting, delayed from 2020 by the pandemic, comes before crucial UN summits on climate, food systems and biodiversity that could shape the planet's foreseeable future.
Previous IUCN congresses have paved the way for global treaties on biodiversity and the international trade in endangered species.
But efforts to halt the rapid decline in the diversity of animals and plants have so far failed.
The nine-day IUCN meeting will include an update of its Red List of Threatened Species, measuring how close many animals and plants are to vanishing forever.
Experts say that about 135,000 species are currently at risk of extinction due to habitat loss, overexploitation and illegal trade.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
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Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
