COP26 is destined to be a turning point in climate change policy. Delayed by 12 months due to Covid, world leaders will gather in November in Glasgow to agree the terms for a new climate agreement. Importantly, the USA is back at the table under President Biden's leadership. The goal of the conference is to keep global temperatures within the 1.5˚ increase limit. However, this year, the UK Government has been clear that the biodiversity crisis needs to be central to the discussion too. Plantlife has been working to highlight how nature-based solutions can help to meet our climate goals and support nature. Plantlife's policy lead, Honor Eldridge, will speak with representatives from different non-government organisations around the world to highlight conference challenges and how we find a pathway forward.

Speakers:

John Verdieck, Director of International Climate Policy at The Nature Conservancy

In this role he works to improve policy coherence between international climate change rulesets and national-level action in the land sector. John formerly worked at the U.S. State Department where he negotiated workstreams related to forests, carbon markets, and the Paris Agreement’s rulesets for Nationally Determined Contributions and greenhouse gas accounting. John also manages TNC’s work related to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Offset Protocol, and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, a $1 billion fund for reducing deforestation.  

Randy Hayes, Executive Director of Foundation Earth, Washington, DC. 

Foundation Earth was established in 2011 to advance a big rethink of the industrial economy and to propose solutions. Hayes, a former filmmaker, is a veteran of many high-visibility corporate accountability campaigns and has advocated for the rights of Indigenous peoples throughout the world. He founded Rainforest Action Network. Hayes has been described in the Wall Street Journal as “an environmental pit bull.” Hayes calls for a True-Cost Economy that eliminates pollution externalities, scrutinizes technology, and honors ecological carrying capacity limits. He is on the Steering Committee of Nature Needs Half and an advisor to the World Future Council.

India Stephenson, Assistant Editor, British Ecological Society.

The British Ecological Society (BES) is the oldest ecological society in the world, with a vision for nature and people to thrive in a world inspired by ecology. An ecologist by training, India now works as an Assistant Editor for the BES journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution and also works closely with their policy team, supporting the Society’s members to promote ecological science and evidence-informed solutions. 

Honor Eldridge is the Policy Lead for Plantlife International, focusing on agriculture and farming policy. Her areas of focus include grasslands and climate, international agrifood trade policy and agri-tech innovation. She has written briefings on grasslands as a climate solution, potential food implications from a transatlantic trade deal, and on migrant labour in large-scale horticulture. In addition to her Plantlife role she is the Chair of GM Freeze, board member of the Organic Research Center and participatory board member of Bristol Food Producers. She was previously Head of Policy for the Sustainable Food Trust, worked on post-Brexit policy at the Soil Association and was the Legislative and Government Affairs Coordinator in Washington D.C. for the Center For Food Safety. A full list of her publications can be found at honormayeldridge.com  

Plantlife relies on its members and donors. This event is free but if you would like to donate to support our work you can add an optional donation. The more you give, the more plants we can save. Thank you.