What is the 2010 biodiversity target?
More than one decade after the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the recognition of biodiversity loss has gained high political profile both at global, national and regional levels. This has resulted in ambitious commitments for action by heads of states, initiated in 2001 in the European Union.
While at global level, the target is ‘to achieve a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss’, the one addressed at EU and pan-European level, is even more ambitious as to ‘halt the loss of biodiversity’. Since 2006, the 2010 Biodiversity Target is fully integrated into the Millennium Development Goals.
Important dates and events are:
16 June 2001, Gothenburg, Sweden
biodiversity decline should be halted with the aim of reaching this objective by 2010
Under the Swedish Presidency, Heads of State of the European Union agreed on the EU strategy for sustainable development. Mentioned for the first time, the 2010 biodiversity target became one of its headline objectives for managing and conserving natural resources.
19 April 2002, The Hague, the Netherlands
to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss
The 188 parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity made the 2010 biodiversity target the key mission to achieve their objectives: the conservation of biodiversity; the sustainable use of its components; and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.
4 September 2002, Johannesburg, South Africa
the achievement by 2010 of a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity
The UN World Summit on Sustainable Development, held to increase efforts to reverse environmental degradation and combat poverty, identified the critical role of biodiversity and endorsed the 2010 biodiversity target.
23 May 2003, Kiev, Ukraine
reinforce our objective to halt the loss of biological diversity at all levels by the year 2010
Environment Ministers and Heads of delegation from 51 countries in the UNECE region adopted the Kiev Resolution on Biodiversity at the fifth Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” and defined objectives to achieve the 2010 biodiversity target.
22 May 2006, Brussels, Belgium
to deliver the 2010 biodiversity target and put biodiversity on course to recovery
The European Commission’s Communication on “Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 – and beyond” operationalises the 2010 biodiversity target with ten priority objectives and a detailed action plan containing more than 150 concrete and measurable action points with shared responsibility between Member States and the European Community.
22 May 2007, New York, USA
The 2010 biodiversity target is now fully integrated into the framework of the Millennium Development Goals and, as a sign of further support, the international community decided to declare 2010 the International Year for Biological Diversity.
In 2006, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan suggested to incorporate the 2010 biodiversity target into the Millennium Development Goals. In his speech on biodiversity day 2007, Ban Ki-Moon announced the full integration of the target and the International Year for Biological Diversity in 2010.
