five questions to… Matthew Collis

What is IFAW’s International Policy Program?

It is the way IFAW engages with all the international agreements, and the countries (“party”) to them, particularly the agreements that affect biodiversity loss, wildlife and their habitats. It is key for us to engage in these discussions and ensure that as countries get together to make decisions, that those are informed by the work we do, taking into consideration the lessons we learn doing the work on the ground, protecting animals and their habitats.

We talk about securing habitats that animals call home, but that has to mean security in law and governance as well. Our project-based activities are only of value if they are maintained over time, and part of what maintains them over time is law and policy. On the other hand, the challenges we face on the ground inform the kind of decisions we want to be taken. It then can become a virtuous circle where what is happening on the ground informs the policy interventions, and the policy interventions direct and shape what happens on the ground.

What place does the European Union (EU) have in this environment?

The EU is crucial for a number of reasons. On the mathematical side of things, it represent 27 countries and when you are in forums where voting is part of the way they operate. In many MEAs, the EU votes as a bloc, which has a huge impact, especially considering a lot of people will also follow the EU even if they are not part of it. There is a potential to influence many votes.

More importantly, the EU is an important actor on the global stage regardless of vote counts, and the policy leadership it shows or does not show can be critical for movement on particular issues.

In the current crisis, with the idea of building back better and greener from the economic impact of the lockdowns and post COVID-19, the EU voice has been crucial. The Green Deal and its championing by European politicians has been really important to lead a global mantra that this is an opportunity to do things differently and better. The political and financial weight the EU brings as a bloc is critical.

Considering this influence, do you think the EU Green Deal could influence environmental initiatives even outside of the EU?

The EU’s actions are important because EU countries as a bloc represent an important market for natural resources. Greening our own attitudes and approaches within the EU will have a significant impact on the way we consume natural resources and nature. The Green Deal represents an important shift, but even more can be done.

The political signal and leadership the EU gives in the international sphere is significant. As we see some other key players on the global stage step back from prominent roles they had in international cooperation and leadership, we are already looking to the EU to fill that void to some extent. That leadership will be key in forthcoming agreements on ocean and high seas conservation, or for the Convention on Biological Diversity’s post-2020 global biodiversity framework. However, for the EU to be a champion for a global effort to protect biodiversity, then it needs to be able to show it is doing the right thing at home, which also means that Member States need to fully engage on the EU Green Deal and the Biodiversity Strategy and ensure implementation.

The role of the EU outside of the region goes beyond leadership, what else should it do to support biodiversity protection efforts?

The EU also needs to come with the cash to support efforts overseas, and that is the point we need to make sure is understood and comes alongside everything to do with the Green Deal. Which is why IFAW and other organisations have been calling for an important amount of funding – a 10% funding target – within the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) to be allocated solely for biodiversity.

If we ask the world to do things differently and to better protect nature, to deal with climate change, that comes will a whole raft of benefits if we get it right but it also comes initially with costs. These are often born disproportionately by poorer countries, which might be rich in biodiversity but not wealthy, so they will need help and money. This is where the question of development funding from the EU is crucial. The Member states and the EU as a whole being important donors, that money can have a real impact on the future of biodiversity, conservation and the planet. This is why the EU is so key.

What would you say are the top three priorities for the EU to focus on in terms of conservation and biodiversity work?

First, their Leadership in getting an ambitious deal agreed for the new post-2020 global biodiversity framework will be really important. So far, they have been saying the right things but it still needs a big push to get it over the finish line. That includes robust accountability mechanisms within that framework, but also the central question of finance for it, for which the EU can be a leader if it chooses to do so through investments and creative finance ideas such as “debts for nature swaps”.

An agreement on a high seas treaty should also be a priority for the EU over the coming year, after the final negotiation session was delayed earlier in 2020. The high seas includes some of the most biologically important, least protected and most critically threatened ecosystems in the world. We need a new treaty under the UN Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that creates legally binding mechanisms for establishing marine protected areas and for undertaking robust environmental impact assessments for activities on the high seas.

Finally, within the EU market, issues around wildlife trade should be addressed. The EU Wildlife Trafficking Action Plan (WTAP) expires and it needs to be renewed and strengthened when it comes to implementation. There is a commitment to do so, but we need to see it happening, and that includes dealing with EU domestic ivory markets, and acknowledging that the EU is a key market for wildlife products, exotic pets, forestry products, etc., whether it is online or offline. The EU can be an important player in this issue, but it needs to get its house in order.