COP27: Integration between environmental preservation and urban nature is needed, experts warn

As COP7 commences, a new report from the UN has revealed that global emissions are on track to rise by 10.6% by 2030, compared with 2010 levels. Whilst the energy crisis has been the focal point for many – with countries calling for greater supply of fossil fuels to bring down consumer energy prices – experts are warning that COP27 must result in urgent action to be taken to restore natural habitats. In light of this, the experts at Birda – a new birdwatching app and social media platform – explains that there should be an integrated approach in nature preservation to provide adequate green infrastructure to support wildlife in urbanised areas.

A clear recognition is needed to integrate urbanisation with climate conservation – particularly to protect wildlife in highly-congested regions. Alongside a wider and more general commitment – such as Monday’s pledge to end deforestation by 2030 – experts are warning that an integrated approach is needed to ensure that robust and effective practices are contributing to environmental preservation, especially in highly populated areas. The rise of birdwatching as an activity has also shone a light on the importance of feathered creatures, given that birds remain crucial to maintaining a healthy ecosystem not just across land, but also across coastlines. In the UK, around 30 million birds are killed every year due to window strikes, in which the glass surfaces on high-rise buildings cause birds to assume they can fly into the greenery and sky reflected in the windows. This scale of loss undeniably contributes to climate change and the alarming global loss of wildlife and degradation of ecosystems.

A potential solution to this includes creating bird-friendly measures to buildings, as well as the use of green corridors in cities – a linear natural infrastructure made of trees and plants, which link up green and open spaces to form a ‘green urban network’. These networks provide new habitats and resources for urban wildlife with mixed land use to ensure that the nature around is still thriving in tandem with cities. Alongside this, mandating bird safety for new buildings and homes generates a high-impact and low-cost solution to wildlife preservation. In 2019, James Brokenshire, the former Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, penned an open letter to developers to consider the impact of a project on the habitats of local wildlife. He emphasised that birds are protected under the Wildlife Countryside Act 1981, and that developments should “enhance natural environments, not destroy them”. Given the state of the current climate, this highlights that it’s not just up to our world leaders to contribute to environmental action, but that it’s also in the hands of everyday Brits across the nation.

A study by Wildlife Trust found that 70% of global biodiversity has been lost since 1970, despite the fact that it plays a critical role in minimising disease outbreak across the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) also published a report showing the damage climate change has on health, finding that between 2030-2050, climate change is set to cause around 250,000 additional deaths per year due to diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress. Experts have also long asserted the correlation between birds and a healthy ecosystem, including the ability to reduce storm and flood damage, which is why strengthening environmental policies is critical to ensuring wildlife protection across the world.

John and Natalie White, co-Founders of Birda, are available to discuss the following topics:

The importance of birds and biodiversity to our eco-system and reducing health risks
Why the protection of wildlife in urbanised areas is so critical
The integration between environmental preservation and urban nature
How protecting birds contribute to reducing climate change