Context

As the COP26 host, the UK Government had a unique opportunity to wield its influence and secure an ambitious deal at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity to tackle the triple challenge of poverty, climate change and biodiversity loss. These issues are often dealt with as separate issues, in siloes, yet they are part of the same system. Seahorse wanted to ensure the UK Government did not treat the issues in isolation.

Our activity

Seahorse launched the People and Nature campaign in July 2019, supported by over 30 MPs. The campaign called on the UK Government to recognise and act on the importance of nature for sustainable development by making all UK Aid nature-positive; stopping harmful investments that destroy nature; and negotiating an ambitious deal for people and nature at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s meeting in November 2021. 

Seahorse coordinated the steering committee of the campaign, consisting of environmental and development NGOs, to drive the development of campaign messaging and strategy. Seahorse engaged with world leading campaign champions such as Dr Jane Goodall and Kumi Naidoo, MP supporters and ministerial teams.

Our impact

The campaign was extremely successful and, in the run up to COP15, secured two of its core asks: Government commitments to ensure that no new bilateral aid harms nature and to end financial support for fossil fuels overseas.