Votre Excellence, Monsieur Salomon Eheth, Ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire de la Mission permanente de la République du Cameroun;
Dear Monica Rubiolo, Head of Trade Promotion of SECO, Switzerland;
Dear Pierre Marcolini, Chocolatier & Sustainable Entrepreneur, Founder and Creation Director of Maison Pierre Marcolini;
Dear Adrie El Mohamadi, Component Manager, BioInnovation Africa, South Africa;
Dear Emma Algotsson, Project Lead, Catchgreen, Sweden-South Africa;
Dear Ebenezer Laryea, University of Aston & Freshppact Project Lead, Ghana;
Dear Lisa Emelia Svensson, Minister Counselor, Permanent Mission of Sweden (moderator);
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Given an adjustment to the Conference programme, I want to start with apologizing for being late to this important event. But it is now an immense pleasure to be with you – a warm welcome, une chaleureuse bienvenue, una calida bienvenida a todos y todas!
We are meeting at a moment when the world navigates rapid change and shifting geopolitics. Yet the urgency of the climate crisis reminds us that sustainability must stay at the heart of our shared priorities. With this event, we aim to help ensure that sustainability continues to be central to international dialogue and action.
The urgency is clear. Every year, the world consumes more resources than our planet can regenerate.
Biodiversity is at risk. One million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction within the next decades. Not only is this an enormous challenge for the planet but also for the over 4.3 billion people who rely on biodiversity for their livelihoods. For the poor and vulnerable living in rural areas, it is particularly important as about 70 per cent of them depend directly on biodiversity.
So, taking action is not optional — it is essential.
For long, trade and nature were seen as detached. That started changing, something that we showcased at the first Trade Day at the Biodiversity COP last year. Today, we are here to continue changing that story. We want to show that trade can be a force for nature: by protecting biodiversity, creating jobs, and diversifying economies.
Across the globe, sustainable trade is a reality unfolding today:
- Farmers and MSMEs are safeguarding, cultivating and trading biodiversity-based products.
- Entrepreneurs are transforming waste into valuable resources.
- Businesses are redesigning value chains to reduce pollution and empower smallholders.
Too often, however, these changemakers remain unseen and their potential constrained. They face obstacles in accessing markets, finance, and global value chains.
This is striking, given that trade in biodiversity-based products accounts for about 17% of global trade, or around 3.7 trillion US dollars in 2023.
Conserving biodiversity is therefore not only an ethical imperative but also an economic rational. It is the strongest value proposition we have. Businesses that embed respect for biodiversity into their supply chains are not just doing good; they are investing in the very foundations of long-term prosperity.
UNCTAD has two specific programmes to this end.
Through our BioTrade Initiative, we support businesses and communities developing biodiversity-based products that generate value while conserving ecosystems.
And through the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Programme, we are driving circular innovations in plastics, textiles, leather, waste management, and batteries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today’s dialogue is about bringing changemakers to the table, removing barriers, scaling their impact, and boosting sustainability as a norm.
Yet, the session is not just about listening to inspiring voices. It is also about action. How can we ease market access for sustainable actors, help them attract the investment they need, and make sustainable trade more mainstream.
I want to end my remarks with warmly thanking our partners who have made this work and today’s event possible: the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Government of the United Kingdom, the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ), and the Geneva Environment Network.
Let us together use this dialogue to generate ideas and partnerships to drive change well beyond today.
Thank you.