MCOP-2 will drive action plans to achieve the 2050 goals of biodiversity

New Delhi - June 10, 2021: The pandemic created a new normal last year. Major meetings and conferences were cancelled globally. Two major environment conferences - COP26 (Conference of Parties) on Climate and CBD COP 15 - were postponed. While these conferences were put on hold, a unique event was initiated by WWF India for students across the country in 2020. The first leg of Model Conference of Parties (MCOP-1) on Biodiversity. The students collectively brought out the Delhi Declaration with actionable outcomes, which was handed over to the MOEF&CC at the National level and the State Environment and Forests Departments and State Biodiversity Boards.

Continuing the focus on biodiversity, the MCOP-2 is scheduled to be held from June 12^th, 2021. The 2021 theme being ‘Our Solutions are in Nature’; MCOP2 will deep dive into the actions needed by all stakeholders to achieve the 2050 goals of the CBD. WWF India will host the digital conference on biodiversity conservation in partnership with MoEF&CC, NBA (National Biodiversity Authority of India), CBD (Convention for Biological Diversity), UNEP, UNDP & IUCN CEC.

MCOP-2 will see delegates draft action Plans to achieve the targets drafted under the goals of - no loss of freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems; halving the footprint of production and consumption and healthy natural ecosystems for providing benefits to all people and help bend the curve of biodiversity loss by 2030. These students from different states will draft action plans, and biodiversity experts will take the students through the CBD processes and hone their skills at negotiations on the goals and targets.

The key speakers to be present at the event to address and encourage the future citizens include, Ms. B V Uma Devi, Additional Secretary, MoEF&CC and Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, Secretariat of the CBD, Mr. Anurag Pratap, Vice President, Digital Inclusion & Sustainability Leader, Capgemini India, Dr. Aleksey Zavarzin, CEC Regional Vice-Chair ECARO, Dr. Ashok Khosla, Founder, Development Alternatives; Ms Mari Nishimura, Associate Programme Management Officer, UNEP; Mr Atul Bagai, Country Head, UNEP India and Mr. Ravi Singh, Secretary General & CEO, WWF India.

Speaking about the conference, CEC member Ms. Radhika Suri, Director, Environment Education, WWF India, said, “At MCOP-2 I will aim to deepen the understanding of students on biodiversity conservation while continuing to work on the goals and targets of MCOP-1. We hope that the skills that the students acquire in the MCOP will help them to make better and informed decisions towards making sustainable lifestyle choices”.

For further information, please contact:  

Radhika Suri 

Director, Environment Education, WWF-India 

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Phone: 011-41504792 

Komal Chaudhary

Senior Manager, Media and PR, WWF India

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