High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People

• Vaid's ICS, Lucknow
• 09, Oct 2021

Why in News?

At a ceremony held between the French and Indian governments, India officially joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People.

Key points:

• India is the first of the BRICS bloc of major emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to join the HAC.
• India’s announcement comes in the lead up to a high-level biodiversity meeting, hosted by China.

 What is the ‘High Ambition Coalition’ (HAC)?

High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, was initiated at the “One Planet Summit” in Paris in January 2021.

• It is co-chaired by Costa Rica and France and by the United Kingdom as Ocean co-chair.

High Ambition Coalition (HAC) is a group of more than 70 countries encouraging the adoption of the global goal to protect 30×30.

• HAC champions a global deal for nature and people with the central goal of protecting at least 30 percent of world’s land and ocean by 2030.
• The 30×30 target is a global target which aims to halt the accelerating loss of species, and protect vital ecosystems that are the source of our economic security.
• HAC members currently include a mix of countries in the global north and south; European, Latin American, Africa and Asia countries are among the members.

Why 30×30?

In order to address both the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis, there is growing scientific research that half of the planet must be kept in a natural state.

• Despite this, experts agree that a scientifically credible and necessary interim goal is to achieve a minimum of 30% protection by 2030.
• The scientific data help justify the 30×30 target for biodiversity conservation both at a global level and a regional level.

Significance:

Currently, an estimated 15% of the world’s land and 7% of the ocean are protected.

• In order to achieve the goal of protecting at least 30% by 2030, we’ll need to double the current land protections and more than quadruple current ocean protections.
• This coalition aims to promote an international agreement to protect at least 30 % the of world’s land and ocean by 2030.

Facts for Prelims:

Guduchi:

The Ministry of Ayush’s advisory on the use of Guduchi, also known as Giloy, confirms that Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) is safe to use but some similar looking plants like Tinospora crispa may be harmful.

• Guduchi is a popularly known herb and has been used in therapeutics since long in AYUSH systems.
• It is a large, glabrous, perennial, deciduous, climbing shrub of weak and fleshy stem found throughout India.
• It is a widely used plant in folk and Ayurvedic systems of medicine.