Why is COP26 important to us here at Paradise?
COP26 is the 26th climate summit and is being seen as the final chance for nations to act and change for the protection of the planet’s environmental status. This year, the meeting will be held in Glasgow, Scotland from the 31st of October to the 12th of November and will be attended by 197 nations. Cam Whitnall, who works at both Paradise Wildlife Park, The Big Cat Sanctuary and is one of the hosts of One, Zoo, Three has been invited to attend as an advocate for conservation and the environment for TikTok & the UK Government.
COP stands for the conference of the parties, with the first meeting held in Berlin in 1995. This annual global summit sees nations come together as part of the UN Climate Treaty to battle climate change. The Paris agreement, a legal binding document that was signed in 2015 by all 197 countries, was an important step in the movement of protecting the planet’s climate. The nations committed to limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees with the long-term goal of zero net emissions meaning we should be producing less carbon than we take out of the atmosphere. This is vital for the stability of our planet, as increased climate temperatures lead to rising sea levels, causing flooding and devastating effects on human and ecological systems. One of the aims of COP26 is to Adapt to Protect Communities and Natural Habitats. This is of vital importance as nations need to work together to enable and encourage the protection and restoration of ecosystems within their countries and from their people.
Paradise Wildlife Park and The Big Cat Sanctuary is dedicated to working towards the protection and restoration of ecosystems locally, nationally and internationally. On both sites, we work with local communities and councils to support local wildlife as well as, minimise our outputs and we are always looking at ways to improve our carbon footprint. Both sites also work with a wide variety of conservation charities through donations and additionally sending staff out to help these charities that work directly in the wild habitats to protect all types of species and ecosystems. These conservation charities also work to consolidate with local communities and companies to create a harmonious ecosystem for all beings, vital for the continuous fight against climate change.
Cam Whitnall is passionate about wildlife and hopes to inspire children on the importance of protecting our natural environment for future generations. With over 450,000 followers on his TikTok channel @cameronwhitnall, Cam has been sharing his passion for zoos, wildlife, and conservation and has recently delivered live streams with WWF UK, Earthtopia, ATTN and Sky News on the topics of conservation, wildlife and climate change. Cam has been selected as one of twenty-six #OneStepGreener ambassadors for the UK Government and will be present as an ambassador at the COP26 meeting where he will also be hosting TikTokForGood’s live stream on the 6th of November at COP26 in Glasgow.
Through his ongoing work at his family’s two wildlife charities Paradise Wildlife Park and The Big Cat Sanctuary and conservation around the world, Cam is set to be a great advocator for wildlife and environmental change.
We would like to wish Cameron the best of luck and we hope COP26 brings a future of hope for environmental change.
