Diversity and Inclusion as a Catalyst for Environmental Action

Diversity and Inclusion as a Catalyst for Environmental Action

Canning House convenes Glasgow roundtable with the First Lady of Argentina and the UN Environment Programme, in partnership with the Argentine Embassy

As part of our delegation visit to Glasgow in the  setting of the UN Climate Change Conference – COP26, on the 2nd of November Cristina Cortes, CEO of Canning House convened a roundtable discussion between the First Lady of Argentina, Fabiola Yañez, Valerie Kapos, Head of the Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Centre; and Alessandra Viggiano Marra, Minister of the Embassy of Argentina on the importance of gender mainstreaming, scientific research and social inclusion for environmental action.

In addition to sharing Argentina’s work at the National Park of Iguazú which is home to 45% of the country’s flora and wildlife, the First Lady also called for international cooperation to further safeguard the Park’s biodiversity.

Mrs Yañez described her work with women in the rural areas of Argentina – by far the group most vulnerable to poverty due to a lack of access to land - as well as the importance of providing opportunities for children, the future leaders that will be responsible for the protection of the environment for generations to come. In the words of the First Lady “We must urgently incorporate a social and a gender perspective into an environmental action that ensures diversity and inclusion”.

Valerie Kapos reinforced this message, and also the importance of scientific research in this same plight and mentioned several UNEP- led scientific programmes across Argentina and future plans to implement a project on soil remediation in Patagonia.

Canning House is proud to have hosted the discussion in partnership with the Argentine Embassy and looks forward to continuing to explore and share the opportunities across Latin America in the fight against climate change and advocate for environmental protection and equality.

This roundtable was organised in partnership with

The Embassy of Argentina in the United Kingdom