2020 was set to be the year when governments upped their ambition for action on climate and biodiversity. Yet, we know the reality – exacerbated by the coronavirus –  has been different. The world has only a few years left to deliver drastic greenhouse gas emission reductions and stem the loss in biodiversity, or we lose any realistic chance of addressing the climate crisis successfully. While policy makers wrestle with the challenges of Covid-19 and economic recovery, the climate emergency continues and cannot be put on hold.

While there is recognition of possible trade-offs between the different pathways of recovery, there is little concrete discussion to pin down the level of ambition for a green recovery and the political, social and economic space to achieve that ambition. We discuss the level of ambition we should aim for on climate action while the world recovers from the Covid-19 crisis and the opportunities and barriers to achieving this level of ambition.

This event is part of the ODI at 60 series, challenging decision-makers to provide more sustainable and equitable pathways for the future.