Save Biodiversity 05/08 - Update from Countdown 2010

In this Issue

• Feature: Barcelona at the heart of conservation!
  • Cities will better manage their biodiversity
  • Are countries doing enough?
  • A new target after 2010?
• Do it yourself: Help spreading the word by creating your own flag!
• Internal: 1, 2, 4, ... 1,500 partners by 2009!
• State of biodiversity: Almost one in five in mammals on the brink
• Focus on... Investment in ecological restoration means benefits for all
  

^ Dear Countdown 2010 Partners, dear Readers,

Last October was a busy month for the Countdown 2010 team. The IUCN World Conservation Congress gathered in Barcelona to find solutions to the most urgent environmental issues of our times.

In this newsletter, you will get an overview of the main outcomes of the IUCN Congress and learn about the new initiatives launched around the 2010 biodiversity target. Special attention is also given to the importance of restoration in achieving the 2010 target and also to the new findings of the IUCN Red List on endangered mammals.

Finally, I would like to remind you that the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity is revising its Strategic Plan for the post 2010 regime. This will be a key element in defining the post 2010 target. Your input will contribute to deciding what measures the international community will take in the future to counter biodiversity loss. If you are an observer, send your opinion to secretariat@cbd.int and feel free to copy us in or visit the CBD website.    

Enjoy reading! 

Sebastian Winkler
Head of Countdown 2010
November 20, 2008

^ Feature: Barcelona at the heart of conservation!

From 5 to 14 October, Barcelona hosted the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) - the largest gathering of nature conservationists in the world. A record figure of 8,000 participants marked a huge success for the organization and attracted world media attention. The Congress was divided into two parts: the World Conservation Forum, with more than 800 events on the state of the art conservation policies, laying the foundation for the IUCN Members Assembly.

The Assembly approved the 2009-2012 IUCN Programme, an action plan for the way out of the current environmental crisis, and elected the new Council and President Ashok Khosla from India. With his great experience and exposure to the international environmental scene, Ashok will guide the Union for the next four years.

Debates on the 2010 biodiversity target and the overall progress towards it were high on the agenda. The next three articles will give you a flavor of the main Countdown 2010 events: 

1. Local 2010 Action for Biodiversity
2. Launch of the Countdown 2010 Readiness Assessment
3. A vision for Nature in 2010 - and beyond

• World Conservation Congress online

^Cities will better manage their biodiversity

The Congress witnessed the launch of a Global Partnership for Cities and Biodiversity during a high-level event entitled “Local 2010 Action for Biodiversity: The ignored solution?” This partnership will reinforce the role of local governments in the conservation of urban nature and biodiversity. It brings together UN agencies, international organizations, including ICLEI and IUCN, and local governments. The partnership will improve the management and conservation of biodiversity through technical cooperation, capacity building projects and communication campaigns.

The participation of cities in the conservation of nature has just recently reached the heart of discussions and has become recognized as having an important contribution by the international community. Not only did the UN adopt a decision on the importance of local and regional authorities in conserving biodiversity in May 2008, but the IUCN World Conservation Congress also officially acknowledged that local governments are fundamental actors in shaping the future of our planet. The Congress passed three resolutions concerning municipal conservation areas, IUCN membership of local governments and increased cooperation with the Union and its members for managing biodiversity protection.

The newly launched Global Partnership will contribute to the existing commitments of more than 250 local and regional authorities which have already joined Countdown 2010 in the last months and years. Just recently, ten municipalities from Oost Brabant (Belgium) – already active in biodiversity conservation through the efforts of the Countdown 2010 partner Natuurpunt – have committed to additional actions related to the 2010 biodiversity target.

Danish municipalities are also increasingly involved in the protection of their surroundings. Five more partners joined Countdown 2010 in a dedicated event in Vejle last month, thereby bringing the number of Danish Countdown 2010 municipalities to the equivalent of every fifth mayor in Denmark committing to additional actions for 2010. Get in contact with your local representatives and encourage them to join Countdown 2010 too!  

• Countdown 2010 and local and regional authorities

^Are countries doing enough?

One of the three objectives of Countdown 2010 is to assess the progress that countries are making towards achieving the 2010 biodiversity target. The latest findings of the Countdown 2010 Readiness Assessment were launched in Barcelona during the World Conservation Congress focusing on policy responses by G8+5 governments and to which extent they integrate biodiversity concerns into other sectors and decision making processes.

Overall, the results of the 2010 Readiness Assessment show a medium to low performance of the G8+5 countries in achieving the 2010 biodiversity target. The study illustrates that although some countries demonstrate success stories, these are limited to only some sectors, and regional/international cooperation remains a major challenge.

The 1st version of the Readiness Assessment was presented during the Sixth Ministerial “Environment For Europe” Conference in Belgrade (October 2007). This first exercise, assessing over 40 Pan-European countries, reflected the need for a second phase of the study focusing on a policy response based assessment.

In a parallel process, an online questionnaire was launched to complement the desk studies from the Readiness Assessment and measure issues related to communication, awareness raising and public participation amongst civil society on the 2010 Biodiversity target. Take part in the survey! Your opinion is most welcome!

• Readiness Assessment website

^A new target after 2010?

Discussions are slowly starting in relation to the post 2010 regime. Do we need a new target and, if so, what form should it take? This session focused on the outlook for biodiversity after 2010. The three IUCN presidential candidates shared and compared their views on how the international community could continue engaging once the original 2010 biodiversity target has expired. The lively debate – involving also representatives from the business, civil society and public sectors – led to the conclusion that a new time-bound objective would keep people committed to saving biodiversity. But what will this target look like?

The participants in this session clearly underlined that biodiversity conservation needs to be integrated into other sectors’ policies, such as climate change and ecosystem services. And most of all, that those actors who are presently not directly involved in conserving biodiversity should become more aware of the consequences of their activities and become involved in shaping the way forward. Reinforced joint efforts will ensure better outcomes and improved conservation.

In this context, the role of multinational companies cannot be overlooked. Representing a large share of the world’s economy and having an impact on the health of our planet, their contribution to saving biodiversity is fundamental to ensuring progress on the 2010 target. Remarkably, an increasing number of multinational companies has recently turned their attention to conservation and have taken their first steps towards reducing their impact on the environment.

Shape the future target by having your say on the review of the CBD strategic plan!

^Do it yourself: Help spreading the word by creating your own flag!

Landlife, a small organization based in Liverpool (United Kingdom), invites you all to think of one thing that led you to a particular path and brought you closer to nature. Each moment is personal – it could be an image of something from the natural world, an event, a person or a revelation from nature which ultimately led you to an important change in life or has given a special insight or perception. At a time when much of the natural world is under threat, it is important to remind the world how everybody, everywhere takes joy and inspiration from nature and the natural world at some point in their lives.

The material you send will be used to decorate your personal flag which will be attached to the others to form rows of flags which will be displayed at major international public events. Exhibiting the flags at such times will help remind decision makers that biodiversity should be kept high on the international agenda and that swift action is needed to ensure a future for our planet. After the WCC, the flags are continuing their world tour going from the European Capital of Culture celebrations in Liverpool to other key events in 2010, such as the Heads of State Summit in New York and the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

Design your own flag and send it to rscott@landlife.org.uk or by post Landlife, National Wildflower Centre, Court Hey Park, Liverpool L16 3NA, United Kingdom.

• Landlife website

^Internal: 1, 2, 4, ... 1,500 partners by 2009!

Staff changes at Countdown 2010 Secretariat! Liza Drius successfully completed her internship and has now taken up Countdown 2010 communication efforts. Nikola Kondev from Bulgaria has recently joined the Countdown Secretariat as intern. He will be helping us out with all kinds of administrative issues for six months.

Don’t forget! The Countdown 2010 Secretariat encourages its partners to send regular updates on their latest activities. Send an email to Nikola at office@countdown2010.net.  

• See sample of updates

^State of Biodiversity: Almost one in five in mammals on the brink

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – the world’s most comprehensive tool on the assessment of species’ conservation status – released the findings of its latest study at the World Conservation Congress. The big news: at least 1,141 of the 5,487 mammals on Earth are endangered. The project to assess the world’s mammals was conducted with the help of more than 1,800 scientists from over 130 countries.

The real situation, however, could be even more worrying as data are missing for more than 800 mammals. With better information, more species may well prove to be in danger of extinction. The international community cannot let this go unnoticed. IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre urged leaders to promptly reinforce measures to reverse this trend and ensure that the world stops losing its biodiversity.

Luckily, it is not all bad news. Five percent of currently threatened mammals show signs of recovery in the wild, thanks to the conservation efforts undertaken by organizations like yours.

Overall, the IUCN Red List now includes 44’838 species, of which 16’928 are threatened with extinction. Of these, 3’246 are in the highest category of threat, critically endangered, 4’770 are endangered and 8’912 are vulnerable to extinction.

• IUCN Red List website
• Press release on mammals crisis

^Focus on: Investment in ecological restoration means benefits for all

At the 6th European Conference on Ecological Restoration in Ghent (Belgium) from 8 to 12 September, more than 500 experts urged leaders to increase investment in measures for nature conservation and the restoration of degraded habitats. The cost of inaction is much higher than the benefits the world would get from relatively little investment in the preservation of the planet. Especially if taking into consideration Storm Cunningham’ s “Rewealth” calculations which indicated that revitalizing cities and restoring natural resources could be valued at more than 2 trillion US Dollars! No doubt that a shift in the way we do business could benefit the world as a whole.  

Restored fisheries, improved air and water quality, flood prevention, erosion control and carbon storage, as well as enhanced cultural services such as recreation, eco-tourism, cultural heritage value and improved physical and mental health are just some of the examples of these benefits. Increased efforts in conservation and restoration would lead to the creation of some 125,000 new jobs worldwide.

Moreover, better integrated policies will help reduce mismanagement. This is the case for several Eastern European countries whose habitats are now experiencing drastic deterioration owing to changes in agricultural land use after transition to a market economy.
  
“Biodiversity is important for everybody’s daily life. The world cannot afford to lose such wealth”, said Sebastian Winkler in his key note speech on “European ecosystems at a crossroad: from halting biodiversity loss by 2010 to a renewed restoration agenda”.

• Conference of the Society for Ecological Restoration 2008

For more information please contact info@countdown2010.net or visit www.countdown2010.net

This newsletter is issued bi-monthly by Countdown 2010. We welcome comments, feedback and contributions to info@countdown2010.net. Previous issues of this newsletter can be found at www.countdown2010.net/article/newsletter.

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