Interview: Costa Rican president calls COP15 in Kunming a critical moment for humanity

President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado Quesada speaks via video at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

"We need to directly address the crisis of biodiversity loss, and that is why this meeting is important," Alvarado told Xinhua, referring to the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP15, which ended Friday in southwestern China's city of Kunming.

SAN JOSE, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado says discussions carried out recently in China on protecting global biodiversity are crucial for humanity.

"We need to directly address the crisis of biodiversity loss, and that is why this meeting is important," Alvarado told Xinhua, referring to the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP15, which ended Friday in southwestern China's city of Kunming.

"Life depends on ecosystems, both for water and clean air, as well as for many of the services that ecosystems give us," the president said, noting that the world requires a paradigm shift in which the contributions of ecosystems and biodiversity are valued.

Urban dwellers continue to view ecosystems and biodiversity as something separate from their lives, he said, but studies have shown that over 50 percent of international gross domestic product depends on ecosystems.

The human race has a great dependence on ecosystems at a time when there is an accelerated loss of biodiversity around the world, he said.

The president said public and private resources must be transferred to extend protection of marine and terrestrial ecosystems across the globe.

"This will only happen if we jointly address the problem. The richest countries, middle-income countries and poor countries should cooperate together," he said, expecting a true commitment to biodiversity from COP15.

"We need to take actions right now," Alvarado urged, hailing the critical role COP15 can play in preserving biodiversity.

Costa Rica has made great efforts to protect its biodiversity, the president said, including through the use of clean energy, the promotion of ecotourism and the implementation of the Payments for Environmental Services Program.

"We have achieved a great recovery of our forest ecosystems, of our forests, and we have seen the recovery of many species, some of which were presumably extinct," he added.