Hybrid Event: Building the leadership for Nature-based Solutions for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

Tuesday 6^th June 2023, 16:15 – 18:00 CEST

Hybrid event held at the European Parliament (Room ASP 5G1) & online

Hosted by MEP Catherine Chabaud

Co-Chair of the ‘Ocean Governance WG’ of the European Parliament Intergroup on ‘Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development’

REGISTRATION LINKS:

• Registrations for physical participation are not closed.

• Register here for online participation to the event.

Ecosystems, particularly coastal blue carbon systems, have great potential to mediate for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to address social, cultural, economic, health and environmental challenges caused by climate change as they provide numerous ecosystem services. NbS can contribute towards a green recovery, one that is resilient and sustainable. Currently in the Mediterranean, many efforts are taking place to fill the missing gaps to promote the inclusion of blue carbon ecosystems in the climate finance mechanisms, encouraging and promoting the value of NbS from the coastal and marine environment to address climate challenges while conserving biodiversity.

The current European Commission has set up a high level of environmental ambition with the Green Deal, in relation with climate and on biodiversity. Nature-based solutions are a very helpful tool in this context, and they can have a high potential in the marine environment. Building on the momentum towards increasing efforts NbS for people, biodiversity and climate and to demonstrate the potential of NbS to address our global challenges, this event aims to discuss on the pathways for mainstreaming importance of blue carbon ecosystem and NbS into the current and future EU decision-making, policy processes, and climate finance mechanisms, as well as help to build a network of NbS practitioners and build leadership at the EU and Mediterranean regional levels.

Agenda:

The event will be moderated by Mercedes Muñoz Cañas, Marine Biodiversity and Blue Economy Programme Manager, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation

16:15 – 16:25                   Opening remarks by MEP Catherine Chabaud

16:25 – 16:35                  Presentation by Yaprak Arda, Marine Programme Officer, and Diarmaid Ó Cuanacháin, Junior Policy Officer, IUCN

16:35 – 17:10                  Panel discussion with the participation of:

• Humberto Delgado Rosa, Director of Dir. D on ‘Biodiversity’, DG ENV, European Commission
• François Guerquin, Director of Plan Bleu Regional Activity Centre (on behalf of UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention)
• Maria Soledad, Project Coordinator of LIFE – Blue Natura, Junta de Andalucia
• Imen Zribi, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis and Tunisian Association of Taxonomy

17:10 – 17:50                   Q&A session with the audience

17:50 – 18:00                  Closing remarks by MEP Catherine Chabaud