News from Countdown 2010 in 2005
More News Stories: 2006 | 2004
Green Week goes Biodiversity
21
December 2005, Brussels, Belgium. The European Commission announced
that the theme of its upcoming Green Week (30 May-02 June 2006) will be
Biodiversity. Countdown 2010 will be hosting the secretariat for the Open
Forum on Green Week 2006 to facilitate stakeholder input into the process.
If you would like to get involved, please get in touch with Wiebke
Herding, Countdown 2010 Outreach Officer.
United Kingdom launches the Countdown 2010 Biodiversity Action Fund
15
December 2005 York, United Kingdom. English Nature today announced
the new Countdown 2010 Biodiversity Action Fund during The World Conservation
Union (IUCN) UK committee meeting in York.
This fund will support projects that help achieve the UK government’s commitment to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010, through delivering the objectives of the England Biodiversity Strategy and Biodiversity Action Plan targets. The commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2010 was made by European leaders at the 2001 EU Summit in Gothenburg and Countdown 2010 is an pan-European initiative based in IUCN's Regional Office for Europe which seeks to raise awareness of this target.
The Countdown 2010 Biodiversity Action Fund is the new name for the Environmental Action Fund (EAF) biodiversity stream which was previously administered by Defra, who still provide the funding for this scheme.
Only voluntary conservation sector organisations are eligible to apply for this fund. Grants will be made for two years (2006/07 and 2007/08) and the value of awards will be between £25,000 and £250,000 per year. The total amount of the fund will be £2.000.000 annually.
Sebastian Winkler, Head of Countdown 2010, said at the IUCN National Committee Meeting: “All over Europe, the movement to reach the 2010 biodiversity target is gaining momentum. With only five years to go, the British contribution serves as an excellent example to other countries .”
- Application form and guidance notes can be downloaded from www.english-nature.org.uk. The closing date for applications is 19 January 2006.
Executive Group approves the Countdown 2010 Declaration
13
December 2005, Brussels, Belgium. The 5th Countdown 2010 Executive
Group meeting, held on December 13 at the IUCN Office in Brussels, approved
a new partnership procedure. By signing the Countdown 2010 Declaration,
partners of Countdown 2010 support the 2010 Biodiversity Target and encourage
European decision makers to contribute to them. In addition, each organisation
chooses a tailored set of actions it will take within Countdown 2010. The
Executive Group encourages all organisations committed to saving biodiversity
to sign the Declaration.
The Executive Group also welcomed the development of the Countdown 2010 Assessment Tool and took decisions on the Business Plan of the initiative.
- Countdown 2010 Declaration
- Countdown 2010 Assessment Tool
- Executive Group
- For more information on joining Countdown 2010, please contact the Secretariat.
Consultation on Biodiversity Communication
12
December 2005 Brussels, Belgium. The European Commission today launched
an 8-week long Internet consultation on the measures which the European
Union could adopt to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010 and restore biodiversity
in the longer-term. The results of the Commission’s consultation will
be taken into account in finalising a Communication designed to address
the commitments made by the EU Heads of State and Government to halt the
loss of biodiversity in the EU and to significantly reduce the rate of loss
worldwide by 2010.
Countdown 2010 calls on stakeholders to strengthen the Biodiversity Communication towards halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010. The consultation closes on 6 February 2006.
Taking the seas
27
November 2005 Torvajanica, Italy. On a windy Sunday afternoon the first
Countdown 2010 catamaran was presented to a large public of enthusiast sailors.
It is part of a three catamarans fleet leaving from Rome in summer 2006
heading to Troy (Turkey) in the attempt to sail back all the way done thousands
of years ago by Aeneas, leaving Troy to its sad destiny to build a new,
powerful civilization: the Roman Empire.
The initiative is supported by Lega Navale Italiana, the largest sailing association in Italy with almost 50.000 members, and implemented by its section in Pomezia (Rome) in coordination with the Countdown 2010 Secretariat. The Countdown 2010 sails will be crossing for two months the Mediterranean Sea, bringing the positive message of saving biodiversity in a new, attractive form to all the people who love and enjoy sea and nature.
The municipalities of North Spain to join Countdown 2010
23
November 2005 Oviedo, Spain. Countdown 2010 is constantly growing,
attracting new members among local authorities as well. Representatives
of local municipalities and regional governments in Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria
and Castilla y Leon showed interest in joining the alliance and proposed
to establish a local Countdown 2010 platform to attract representatives
from local administrations in the four regions concerned, the private sector,
and other conservation NGOs active in the area. Alberto Parenti, Countdown
2010 Special Advisor, presented opportunities for local administrations
to work towards the 2010 Biodiversity Commitment at the “Ayuntamientos
y Medio Ambiente” meeting held in Oviedo, Spain. The meeting was organised
by Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre.
- Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre
- Presentation: Cuenta Atrás 2010: Características y Objetivos (pdf, 9MB)
Assessing progress towards 2010
4
November 2005 Copenhagen, Denmark. “To save biodiversity, we
need to know where we stand and where we are going”, said Sebastian
Winkler in his introduction to the first Countdown 2010 Assessment Workshop
this week in Copenhagen. More than twenty experts and users of biodiversity
assessment methodologies came together to discuss needs and perspectives
for a Countdown 2010 reporting scheme. While the state of biodiversity appeared
comparatively well assessed, more work is needed to measure policy responses
to the 2010 biodiversity target. Countdown 2010 will continue to develop
a framework for reporting progress towards the target.
For more information please contact the Secretariat.
Ireland confirmed commitment to Message from Malahide
4
November 2005 Dublin, Ireland. Speaking in front of a Countdown 2010
banner, Dick Roche, Irish Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local
Government, emphasised the importance of the Message from Malahide for achieving
the 2010 biodiversity target and confirmed his commitment to strongly integrating
it into the Review of the EC's Biodiversity Strategy.
UN Statement calls for achievement of biodiversity target to reach the Millenium Development Goals
3
November 2005 New York, United States. Ambassador Bhagwat-Singh of
the World Conservation Union (IUCN) today announced the expansion of the
Countdown 2010 initiative at the UN General Assembly in New York.
"Mr. Chairman, last year my delegation announced the establishment of the Countdown 2010 Initiative – an alliance of actors from all sectors across Europe that are working to meet the Johannesburg commitment to reduce the loss of biodiversity by 2010 through a clear set of goals and objectives. In March, European Union Heads of State reconfirmed their commitment to the 2010 target during European Council meetings. Starting this year we hope to expand the initiative globally. We see the 2010 Biodiversity Target as a key interim milestone towards the achievement of the MDGs by 2015, as a mechanism to better integrate MDG7 on environmental sustainability with all of the other MDGs, and as an opportunity to promote the work of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
New arrivals at the Countdown 2010 Secretariat
1
November 2005 Brussels, Belgium. In October and November, three new
staff members have joined the Countdown 2010 Secretariat. The new Special
Advisor Alberto Parenti, who is Italian and holds a PhD
in International Economic Law from Bocconi University (Milan) and a LLM
in Environmental Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies (London),
will focus on leading the development of the Countdown 2010 business plan,
engaging the private sector and regional authorities. The Outreach and Communications
Officer Wiebke Herding is a German national and an experienced
campaigner, and joined IUCN in October after running this year’s federal
election campaign for the German Young Greens. Simonida Paunovic,
originally from Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, worked for 10 years at
the National Bank of Yugoslavia. She joins the team for six months as part
of her Master Program in Public Management at SDA Bocconi, Milan, Italy.
- More information on the Countdown 2010 Secretariat
On the road to 2010: Canadian partner initiative ready to kick off
24
October 2005 Brussels, Belgium. “We are here to learn from the
European success story”, said John Herity, Head of World Conservation
Union (IUCN) Canada, on his visit to Brussels last week. The IUCN Canada
National Committee has decided, with the support from both public and private
sector, to launch the “2010 biodiversity challenge”.
On 30 September 2005, the IUCN Council has recommended to the IUCN Commissions and the Director General that Countdown 2010 be utilised to promote greater commitments to realising the global 2010 Biodiversity commitment. The forthcoming meeting of Regional and National Committees next February in the Netherlands will therefore focus on making Countdown 2010 go global. “Together with the Canadian initiative, we are looking forward to contribute lessons learned and further ideas to this process”, concluded Sebastian Winkler, Head of Countdown 2010 in Europe.
UK Minister wears Countdown 2010 badge in Parliament
11
October 2005, London, United Kingdom. Jim Knight, the UK Minister for
Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity decided to promote Countdown 2010
in a House of Commons debate today: "Let me clarify from the outset
that I am the first ever UK Minister for biodiversity, international and
national, so I am very much responsible for this area; that is why I
am wearing my Countdown 2010 badge in respect of the European biodiversity
target."
UK STOPPING THE LOSS OF NATURE UK EU Presidency endorses the Countdown 2010 initiative to halt the loss of biodiversity
6
October 2005, Aviemore, Scotland. The UK’s commitment to stopping
the loss of nature was the key message in the opening address of Jim Knight,
UK Minister for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity , at the EU Nature
Directors Meeting in Aviemore, Scotland, on Thursday the 6th of October.
He emphasised the UK’s support for the Countdown 2010 initiative,
an initiative led by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) bringing together
governments, NGOs, the private sector and citizens to halt the loss of biodiversity
in pan-Europe by 2010.
“I reaffirm the UK’s commitment to meeting the 2010 Biodiversity target, and our strong faith in the Countdown 2010 Initiative,” said Jim Knight. UK Minister for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity.
Countdown 2010 goes global
28 September Gland, Switzerland. Council has recommended to the IUCN Commissions and the Director General that Countdown 2010 is an excellent way to promote greater commitments to realizing the global 2010 Biodiversity target. So far, Countdown 2010 has been a European initiative, working with civil society and European governments to take the necessary actions to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010.
In the decision, Council recommends the 2010 Countdown strategy “as an excellent way (…) to use the Union’s unique structure and global network” and requests the Director General to include this issue on the agenda of the meeting of the Regional and National Committees (The Netherlands, February 2006).
Shaping 2010: Connecting today for joint action in Apeldoorn
23
September Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. The first ever European Nature
Conference is taking place today in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. During the
conference the 620 participants from 39 countries have crafted the Apeldoorn
Appeal, which calls for urgent and concrete action from the European Commission,
Governments and civil society to achieve the 2010 biodiversity commitment.
Jeffrey McNeely, Chief Scientist of IUCN, urged participants during his keynote speech - on the findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment – to take translate the Appeal into action. He noted that we are spending Earth’s natural capital, putting such strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted. At the same time, he noted that the assessment shows that the future really is in our hands. We can reverse the degradation of many ecosystem services over the next years, but the changes in policy and practice required are substantial and not currently underway. Apeldoorn is an opportunity and he encouraged participants to join Countdown 2010 as a tool for moving into action.
The core message at this conference is Connect! Connect nature with nature, people with nature and policy with practice. To keep the Apeldoorn Appeal alive participants noted that the manifesto will require active follow-up and they decided to inform the Countdown 2010 Initiative on the ongoing activities towards the 2010 biodiversity commitment making active use of the Countdown website, as well as developing programmes to assist in the implementation of the priorities of this Appeal.
In an interview with Youth and Environment Europe, Sebastian Winkler, Head of Countdown 2010 noted that our Heads of State have signed on to the commitment of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 and said: “I strongly believe that - if tactically pursued and properly promoted - the Countdown 2010 Initiative might provide the foundation for getting the environment back on the political agenda and all of us have a responsibility to pressure and support governments in achieving this target”.
World Conservation Union undertakes first ever IUCN Red List of European Threatened Mammals
15
September 2005 Gland, Switzerland. The World Conservation Union is
to conduct its first specific assessment of Europe's approximately 281 mammal
species. They include a high number of threatened endemic species, amongst
them the most endangered big cat in the world - the Iberian lynx.
IUCN APPOINTS HEAD OF THE COUNTDOWN 2010 SECRETARIAT AND SENIOR ADVISOR EUROPEAN POLICY
19
August 2005 Brussels, Belgium. Sebastian Winkler, a Mexican-German
national who grew up in French-speaking Africa, moves to Brussels to join
IUCN’s Regional Office for Europe as Senior Advisor European Policy
and Head of the Countdown 2010 Secretariat. His major task will be to further
establish the Countdown 2010 Secretariat, which is currently a Pan-European
Alliance that is translating the 2010 commitment of halting the loss of
biodiversity into concrete action.
UK gets serious about its commitment to stop the loss of nature by 2010
14 June 2005, Bristol, UK. UK action on its 2010 biodiversity commitment was examined today at the 3rd Annual UK Biodiversity Partnership conference in Bristol.
The UK has committed itself at the global, EU, and National levels to reduce or stop the loss of biodiversity by 2010, but no specific plan on how this is to be achieved has yet been developed. The two day conference in Bristol organised by UK Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) brings together partners involved in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for this purpose.
"We have 5 years to meet our commitment but to achieve it we must map out how to get there now" said Brian Harding, Director, Wildlife, Countryside and Land Use, Defra in the opening ceremony.
5 YEARS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Italy launches Countdown 2010 initiative to halt the loss of biodiversity
13 June 2005 Montecatini, Italy. In a historical pledge, Italy formally adhered to the Countdown 2010 initiative, today at the Convention on Biological Diversity Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group on Protected Areas meeting in Montecatini.
The goal of Countdown 2010 is that all European governments, at every level, have taken the necessary action to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010. To this end, the initiative brings together governments, NGOs, the private sector and citizens in actions to fulfil and to draw public attention to commitments made to preserve biological diversity.
“Countdown 2010 is a reminder of our duty to future generations and a wake up call to go beyond rhetoric before it is too late,” said the Italian Minister of the Environment, H. E. Altero Matteoli. “By becoming a state member of the Countdown, Italy intends to chart the course for others to follow. Countdown cannot be confined to the environmental fora but needs to become a priority of the national agenda. Italy will now develop and implement, with all necessary stakeholders, a roadmap for achieving the 2010 target.”
- Full press release in english and in italian
- Spotlight on Biodiversity in Italy in english and in italian
- Partner websites: IUCN Italian National Committee | Enea | Legambiente | Federparchi | Coldiretti | Italian environment ministry | Mappa della Primavera
PARKLIFE PROFILES COUNTDOWN 2010
27
May 2005 Rome, Italy. For the first time in Italy, Countdown 2010 was
presented to the public today at the ParkLife Fair in Rome. The goal of
the Countdown initiative is that all European governments, at every level,
have taken the necessary action to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010.
To this end, the initiative brings together governments, NGOs, the private
sector and citizens in actions to fulfil and draw public attention to commitments
made to preserve biological diversity.
ParkLife is the first Fair of its kind ever held in Italy. Taking place from 25 to 29 May – within European Parks Week, it showcases protected areas both in Italy and throughout the Mediterranean. Over 350 booths provide an overall picture of the variety present in national parks. From birdwatching circuits to traditional produce, interactive expositions for children and specialist workshops, visitors are encouraged to learn more about these special areas.
Italy’s over 750 parks covering some 10% of the national territory provide safeheavens for biodiversity, providing shelter to endemic and migratory species. ParkLife promotes the enhancement of these areas and a more symbiotic relationship between man and nature.
- Weblink: ParkLife
TILBURG FIRST CITY IN THE WORLD TO JOIN COUNTDOWN 2010
25 May 2005 Tilburg, the Netherlands. Today the Mayor of Tilburg, Mr Ruud Vreeman, announced during his opening speech of the European Conference “Mainstreaming Sustainability in the face of Change” that the municipality of Tilburg will join the Countdown 2010 initiative. Tilburg is the first city in the world to pledge to work towards the international and pan-European commitments to halt the decline of biodiversity by 2010.
The goal of Countdown 2010 is that all European governments, at every level, take the necessary actions to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010. To this end, the initiative brings together governments, NGOs, the private sector and citizens to fulfil and draw public attention to the commitments made to preserve biological diversity.
“Tilburg as of today is the first local government in Europe who actively supports the Countdown 2010 initiative,” said the Mayor of Tilburg, Ruud Vreeman “Tilburg wants to be part of the thinking process and be the base for finding solutions in the field of sustainability”.
EU Council urges cross-sectoral integration of biodiversity
23 March 2005 Brussels, Belgium. The Council of the European Union today reaffirmed
^the importance of the objective of halting the loss of biological diversity between now and 2010, in particular by incorporating this requirement into other policies, given the importance of biodiversity for certain economic sectors.