Celebrating World Environment Day with Recovery Roses
World Environment Day is celebrated across the globe on June 5th, raising awareness of the needed ecosystem restoration, in face of the global coronavirus pandemic that has been ongoing for over the past year.
Pakistan --where “Eco-Awakening” is on the rise according to a new report --will play a global host, to the launching of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration which aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean by combating climate change and prevent mass extinction.
A sustainable green recovery plan from the pandemic necessitates understanding the links between climate change, health, and biodiversity; and implementing ambitious climate change policies, which align with the Paris agreement. The United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. More important than ever, these goals provide a critical framework for a COVID-19 green recovery.
The 14 art shows curated by Selva Ozelli, which will be exhibited at the World Environment Day and the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity Secretariat (CBD) websites, reflect these themes. These art shows contain paintings that were acknowledged in numerous United Nations art competitions.
Related: 70 Inspiring Nature Quotes
In Selva Ozelli’s Art Recovery Roses themed art shows, coronavirus is depicted in the form of roses. Because rose has been cultivated for the last 5000 years during the ancient civilization of China, Western Asia --including Pakistan home to wild species of roses -- and Northern Africa, which facilitated its diversification to close to 40,000 varieties that are grown on almost every continent both in gardens and urban settings hardest hit by the pandemic.
Roses encourage biodiversity in urban areas in many different ways. They supply insects with food, provide birds with nesting sites, and shelter small mammals. Their rose hips are also a welcome source of food for many bird species during the autumn and winter according to the World Federation of Rose Societies which will hold a conference on October 21-24, 2021, hosted by the National Rose Society of Australia.
The World Federation of Rose Societies conference is running parallel to CBD COP15 which will be held during October 11th-24th in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China where the achievement and delivery of the CBD’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 will be reviewed.
It is anticipated that the post-2020 global biodiversity framework will be agreed upon as a stepping stone towards the 2050 Vision of ‘Living in harmony with nature’. The post-2020 global biodiversity framework builds on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and sets out an ambitious plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in society's relationship with biodiversity and to ensure that, by 2050, the shared vision of living in harmony with nature. The Framework revolves around two key documents: the fifth Global Biodiversity Outlook; and the updated zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
The State of Finance for Nature report released by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on May 27, ahead of World Environment Day, said: "A total investment in nature of USD 8.1 trillion is required between now and 2050 - while annual investment should reach USD 536 billion annually by 2050 - in order to successfully tackle the interlinked climate, biodiversity, and land degradation crises."
Biodiversity loss is already costing the global economy 10 per cent of its output each year. If we do not sufficiently finance nature-based solutions, we will impact the capacities of countries to make progress on other vital areas such as education, health and employment. If we do not save nature now, we will not be able to achieve sustainable development,"
Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of UNEP said.
Selva Ozelli Esq, CPA is a legal and finance executive with diversified experience dealing with highly complex issues in the field of international taxation and related matters within the banking, securities, Fintech, alternative and traditional investment funds. Her first of its kind legal analyses involving tax laws, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), blockchain technology, solar technology and the environment and have been published in journals, books and by the OECD. Her writings have been translated into 15 languages.
