Banks And Biodiversity No Go Policy: Media Has A Critical Role To Play – SYND Ghana

Banks and financial institutions have been urged to show responsibility and commitment towards efforts to safeguard the environment for the greater human good.

At a media engagement on Banks and Biodiversity No Go Policy organised by the Strategic Network for Development (SYND) Ghana, journalists agreed on their responsibility towards influencing banks to abide by the policy.

The Banks and Biodiversity No Go Policy seeks to stop Banks from financing projects linked to biodiversity loss and social damage.

At the capacity building workshop, media personnel present jaw-jawed on the role they can play to influence banks and financial institutions to abide by the policy.

The media demonstrated willingness to inform and educate Ghanaians on the Policy and why it is of utmost importance.

The No Go Areas under the policy includes

AREA 1:​ Areas recognized by international conventions and agreements including but not limited to the Bonn Convention, Ramsar Convention, World Heritage Convention and Convention on Biological Diversity, or other international bodies such as UNESCO (Biosphere Reserves, UNESCO Global Geoparks, etc) or Food and Agricultural Organization (vulnerable marine ecosystems), International Maritime Organization (particularly sensitive areas), IUCN Designated Areas.

● AREA 2: Nature, wilderness, archaeological, paleontological and other protected areas that are nationally or sub-nationally recognized and protected by law or other regulations/policies; this includes sites which may be located in or overlap with formally, informally, or traditionally held conserved areas such as Indigenous and community conserved areas (ICCA), Indigenous Territories (ITs) or public lands not yet demarcated.

● AREA 3: Habitats with endemic or endangered species, including key biodiversity areas

● AREA 4: Intact primary forests and vulnerable, secondary forest ecosystems, including but not limited to boreal, temperate, and tropical forest landscapes

● AREA 5: Free-flowing rivers, defined as bodies of water whose flow and connectivity remain largely unaffected by human activities

● AREA 6: Protected or at-risk marine or coastland ecosystems, including mangrove forests, wetlands, reef systems, and those located in formally, informally, or traditionally held areas, Indigenous Territories (ITs), or public lands not yet demarcated, or Indigenous and community conserved areas (ICCA)

● AREA 7: Any Indigenous Peoples and Community Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs), community-based conservation areas, formally, informally, traditionally, customarily held resources or areas, Indigenous Territories, sacred sites and/or land with ancestral significance to local and Indigenous communities’ areas where the free, prior, informed consent of Indigenous and Local Communities have not been obtained

● AREA 8: Iconic Ecosystems, defined as ecosystems with unique, superlative natural, biodiversity, and/or cultural value which may sprawl across state boundaries, and thus may not be wholly or officially recognized or protected by host countries or international bodies. Examples include but are not limited to the Amazon, the Arctic, among other at-risk ecosystems.

Banks and financial institutions are therefore urged to take note of these ‘critical areas’ in the policy and let it be a guide to projects they finance.