While we are caught up in our daily routines, it is often easy to forget that we are part of nature. We stare at our smartphones on the way to work, spend most of our days in heated or air-conditioned buildings and purchase food without thinking about its natural origins. Only occasionally are we reminded of nature when a sparrow sitting in front of the window glimpses at us or when the wind is twirling the falling leaves around us. It feels like we humans have left the natural world behind and have created our own. In this process of shaping a completely man-made environment, we have often neglected nature in favor of industrial growth and expanding settlements, resulting in unsustainable practices that threaten our fundamental source of existence.
On the occasion of celebrating IUCN’s 70th anniversary at the Graduate Institute, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Ignazio Cassis (Federal Councillor), Audrey Azoulay (Director-General of UNESCO), Inger Andersen (Director-General of IUCN) and Simona Scarpaleggia (CEO of IKEA Switzerland) came together to underline the importance of respecting and valuing nature; as Inger Andersen put it during her keynote message: “we are not here to dominate, but here to co-exist with nature”. Only by recognising nature as an actor in achieving the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, can we maintain and improve human well-being. “Nature should not be regarded as an object, but as an active subject whose rights must be protected”, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco added during his speech.
For 70 years, the IUCN has been working tirelessly to give nature a voice in order to conserve it and ensure the sustainable use of its resources. Together, and increasingly through global partnerships, numerous organisations and foundations work each day towards a sustainable future. However, we cannot just trust that these organisations will do ‘the job’. “Ecology is everyone’s business”, reminded Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis in his welcome message. Each and every one of us carries the common responsibility of the sustainable development of the entire planet.
Nature is the foundation of our very own existence. Sustainable development is not the cherry on the cake but the bread and butter; let us remind ourselves of this in our daily routines.