• MARIA GWYNN, Member, Governing Council of the Binational Entity ITAIPU
• TERESA MOLL DE ALBA, Senior Manager of Global Operations in Latin America & Caribbean UN Global Compact
• MARIA ADELIADE CORREA RUIZ, Director of Corporate Sustainability, ISA Group, Columbia
• FRANCISCA CORTES, President, MERI Foundation ( NGO), Chile

Prior to the Pandemic, SDG 15 was given equal priority however, the outbreak of COVID-19 caused a shift in the allocation of resources, and funds to support SDG15 especially have been delayed. 

“It is essential that the world returns to prioritizing biodiversity, as we are on track to a population of 10 billion humans on the earth.  If a sustainable ecosystem is not prioritized there is the risk of humans possibly going  extinct said,” Fransisca Cortes Solari, MERI Foundation

“It is important to engage the private sector, and in Uruguay, we have avenues to rebuild biodiversity. Private sector livestock and agricultural firms are given certifications, tax incentives and pricing advantages for complying with certain biodiversity requirements,” said Maria Gwynn,

Governing Council of the Binational Entity ITAIPU. 

When asked how the Meri Foundation is taking measures to achieve SDG 15, Francisca Cortes Solari pointed out that they had to educate the community in Chile before they could actually take any measures towards SDG 15 in that community.

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“We purchased 3 different lands in Chile, they were designed as natural laps available for communities. The Blue boat initiative was a program designed due to the threats to blue whales in Patagonia and the impact caused by  boats and ships on these whales,”  said Fransisca Cortes Solari, MERI Foundation. 

Fransisca Cortes Solari further goes on to mention a new device called “ Boi” that was created in partnership with LATO. This device sends signal waves to safe houses when a blue whale makes a call. The safe house in turn notifies ships at sea that a blue whale is near so that they could be more cautious. 

South America is blessed with many natural resources, and countries partnering with each other is the only way to ensure sustainability. 

The UN Global Compact (UNGC) Leaders Summit is an annual convening of global stakeholders from the UN, the public and private sectors, and civil society that takes stock of progress of the SDGs so far, and addresses the gaps in knowledge, resources, and funding. The 2022 Leaders Summit, like last year’s summit, will be a hybrid event of live and virtual speakers. Featured venues this year include an in-person event held in Bangkok, as well as virtual plenaries in Latin America, Australia, East Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, in addition to UN Headquarters in New York. This inclusive global event — which will run continuously for more than 24 hours — aims to empower business leaders at every level to take collective action and inspire future leaders to embed a sustainability mindset in their work.