As the world witnesses compounding climate impacts, from flash floods in Nepal to drought brought by the supercharged El Niño in Southeast Asia — the need to protect and conserve our biodiversity has never been more urgent.
Members of the Energy Shift SEA network will be participating in CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, bringing on-the-ground stories and experiences on how fossil fuel dependence and expansion compound risks to vulnerable communities while threatening the ecosystems that sustain livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience.
Achieving 30×30 in Southeast Asia: Regional Perspectives and Realities
Wednesday, October 21 | 14:30-15:45 Yerevan time
Ocean Pavilion, Blue Zone, Meridian Expo Center
Register here!
Can Southeast Asia protect 30% of its land, water, and seas by 2030 while marine ecosystems remain under growing pressure from fossil fuel expansion, mining, and industrial development?
As the world reviews progress toward the Global Biodiversity Framework at CBD COP17, Southeast Asia faces a critical question: How can ambitious conservation commitments translate into meaningful protection for marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them?
Bringing together voices from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, this dialogue will explore the challenges, contradictions, and opportunities in achieving marine 30×30. Through community experiences and perspectives from regional decision-makers, the session will examine what effective, equitable, and community-led conservation looks like in practice, and how stronger regional cooperation can help close the gap between commitments and action.
A Global Treasure Worth Protecting: The Verde Island Passage and What Its Conservation Means for the World’s Marine Biodiversity
Wednesday, October 21 | 16:00-17:15 Yerevan time
Ocean Pavilion, Blue Zone, Meridian Expo Center
Register here!
Known as the “center of the center” of marine shorefish biodiversity on Earth, the Verde Island Passage (VIP) in the Philippines spans five provinces. Yet, despite its global ecological significance, formal protection remains out of reach as the VIP faces escalating threats from climate impacts, oil spill hazards, and expanding fossil fuel infrastructure.
As the world conducts its first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), learn why securing legal protection for the VIP under the Philippine ENIPAS law is vital to achieving a credible and quality global 30×30 target.