“Sophie Edwards from Devex states some of the key takeaways from GLF 2017.
- Restoration is flavor of the forum. While not a new idea, restoration has gained traction in recent years through the launch of the Bonn Challenge in 2011 in which more than 40 countries pledged to restore 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded lands by 2020…
- Land tenure and indigenous rights are key. “We need a seat at the table … If we’re not at the table, we’re probably on the menu,” he said, adding that “we need to raise our visibility in these processes but also move beyond the beautiful statements that are made and ... see the implementation on the ground.” He also warned against categorizing indigenous peoples as “marginal” or “vulnerable,” and instead seeing them as equal partners. “We are partners [who] have solutions,” he said, adding “we’re not looking for saviors; we can save ourselves if we have the right tools and are given the opportunity … [which] comes with respect of our rights.”
- Private sector. “If you want the big money you need to go to the private sector,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment, speaking to Devex. But many companies are currently reluctant to invest due to financial and political concerns. He said it is the job of public money to “take some of the risk” and also “give political protection to companies, many who are reluctant to invest in difficult environments because they feel they are blamed if there is corruption, even if they are not corrupt.”
- The wrong crowd? However, despite Solheim’s public endorsements, no one from BNP Paribas was at GLF, and while Rabobank sent a delegate, the private sector was poorly represented at the conference. This was noticed by a number of attendees, with some speculating the GLF format was too academic and research-focused to attract companies and investors.
- Identity crisis. These absences are linked to what some described as a general lack of coherence within the GLF as it held its first event under a revamped leadership. There also appeared to be some confusion over the landscapes concept itself, which one delegate described as “a term in search of an idea.””
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