After a 2-week long negotiations by country delegates, and side events, about 50,000 participants attended online and in-person to share solutions, ideas and build partnerships. We heard many encouraging statements such as leaders representing 90% of the world’s forests pledge to halt deforestation by 2030. EU and US and other 100 countries pledge to cut methane emissions by 2030. The private sector also showed great engagement to help finance and limit warming to 1.5 degree Celsius.

These are all great promises and we look forward to local actions and translating this to financing on the ground to support small NGOs and indigenous communities. There’s a need to act now and translate this commitments to rapid action.

Camille Rivera, co-founder and Director of Oceanus Conservation, gave a talk last November 11, 2021 in a side event of China Corporate Pavilion of the Blue Zone about working together to restore and protect mangroves in the Philippines together with the local communities and emphasize the need to include public participation in the quest of climate action.