Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement

The document argues for a 'One Health' approach to prevent future pandemics by protecting ecosystem integrity and stopping the illegal wildlife trade, noting that 70% of new emerging diseases are zoonotic. It advocates for systemic recovery strategies, including 'farm-to-fork' agricultural approaches and sustainable supply chains for commodities like coffee, cocoa, and cotton. The text emphasizes the need for 'do no harm' standards in recovery investments, the scaling of green finance—citing that mangrove investments can yield $7 in economic benefits for every dollar spent—and the alignment of biodiversity goals with the Paris Agreement's NDCs and the Convention on Biological Diversity's 2030 goals.

• A 'One Health' approach is necessary to address the link between environmental and human health, as the loss of ecosystem integrity and human encroachment on natural habitats create a "connecting highway" for pathogens. Approximately 70% of new emerging diseases, potentially including COVID-19, are zoonotic in origin.
• Economic recovery should employ systemic approaches to biodiversity and nature-based solutions, specifically adopting a 'farm-to-fork' approach similar to the European Green Deal to manage how food systems and livestock pressure ecosystems.
• Private sector engagement and sustainable supply chains for commodities such as cotton, cocoa, and coffee are essential for protecting ecosystems. A proposed pact between producer and consumer countries to reduce deforestation through these supply chains was envisioned as a key deliverable for COP26 in November 2021.
• Recovery packages must be screened against a minimum "do no harm" standard for investments in agriculture, biofuels, and infrastructure to prevent large-scale economic stimulation from increasing biodiversity loss. Accountability can be ensured through ex-post assessments and alignment with the post-2020 global biodiversity framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• Nature-based solutions offer significant economic returns, such as a $7 return for every dollar invested in mangroves, and can have an economic impact comparable to traditional infrastructure. Scaling these requires the involvement of ministers of finance, trade, and planning, and the exploration of innovative models like debt-for-nature swaps.

APA

World Resources Institute (2020). Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/bmu-wri-dialogue-4.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. 2020. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/bmu-wri-dialogue-4.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement |date=2 June 2020 |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/bmu-wri-dialogue-4.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2020global, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/bmu-wri-dialogue-4.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }