Save Biodiversity 01/09 - Update from Countdown 2010

In this Issue

• Feature: The roadmap for the post-2010 biodiversity target
  • Let’s change the way we think about economics!
  • The post Kyoto Protocol: a major appointment for biodiversity conservation
  • Invasive Species: EU calls for action
  • Step by step: major events in 2009
• Do it yourself: Have your say on biodiversity!
• Internal: 2008 a year of great achievements for Countdown 2010
• State of biodiversity: The 2010 Biodiversity Challenge: Will the EU reach it?
• Focus on... ZOO & WILD
• LARA: Green Goals in 2010!
  

^ Dear Countdown 2010 Partners, Dear Readers,

2009 has started with a full agenda for the Countdown 2010 team. The last months before 2010 will be crucial in undertaking extra efforts before the expiry of the target, and to define future commitments to biodiversity. This issue will take you through current discussions on the assessment of progress towards the 2010 target and the adoption of a post-2010 regime, while the SEBI2010 indicators will present astonishing figures on the actual state of our natural heritage.

In the last few months our partners have continued to grow in number. Now with more than 800 partners, Countdown 2010 has positioned itself as one of the leading multi-stakeholder networks for biodiversity conservation. We encourage all of our partners to keep up their great work and to continue spreading the word. To celebrate this success with you, on 24 June we are organizing the annual Partners’ Assembly. Come and tell us about your activities for the 2010 target. As in last years’ edition, we will select the best project which will receive the “2010 Activity Award” along with a mystery prize.
 
During 2009 we will also be getting ready for the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. Countless initiatives, events and meetings will take place worldwide throughout the year. It will be a great opportunity to raise awareness of the fundamental link between biodiversity and life and thus enhance global efforts to preserve our natural heritage. In view of this international event, we invite organizations, local governments, museums, companies, academic institutions and so on to join the Secretariat in planning the activities for 2010. Together we can reach out to more people and ensure that biodiversity is better understood and increased actions are taken.

In this issue you will find a new section on local and regional authorities. National governments are responsible for the implementation of their international commitments yet, with increasing decentralization, local and regional governments have a crucial role to play in managing biodiversity. Through this add-on we will keep you updated with the latest developments on urban biodiversity. Do not forget to check our dedicated section on local and regional authorities on our website.

Enjoy reading! 

Sebastian Winkler
Head of Countdown 2010
February 16, 2008

^ Feature: The roadmap for the post-2010 biodiversity target

With only 700 days to the end of 2010, there is no time to lose in discussing and defining the post-2010 target. The beginning of 2009 is an incentive to renew efforts to reach the 2010 target and chart the way ahead for a new concerted international commitment to reduce the loss of biodiversity. Several processes and events will be crucial to reach an international agreement on the future of the 2010 biodiversity target. The final outcome will depend not only on the measures taken primarily for biodiversity, but also on those concerning related issues, such as climate change and invasive species.

On 11 February, Countdown 2010 together with the Intergroup on Biodiversity and Climate Change of the European Parliament organized a high-level roundtable on the results of the Mid-term Assessment of the European Action Plan and the future of the post-2010 target. The speakers and 150 attendees concluded that even if the target will not be achieved in time, it made it possible to attract action on the issue. As for the post-2010 plans, the new international commitments should be more realistic and measurable, and should also pursue a cross-cultural approach. 

The following articles give an overview of the initiatives and debates currently taking place on the most pressing issues concerning the post-2010 regime.

^Let’s change the way we think about economics!

September 2008 saw the most significant financial crisis since the Great Depression of the ‘30s. The traditional economic model has shown its fragility. The entire financial system is now put in question. Why not radically change the whole system by applying the green economy model?

The United Nations Environment Programme and leading economists have launched the Green Economy Initiative to challenge the current economic model by suggesting a new and innovative approach. The initiative is also based on the results of the TEEB report led by Pavan Sukhdev.  

The green economy model provides a viable alternative to the current system and long-term prospects for human well-being. Natural resources have been exploited by humans for too long, yet no compensation has ever been given to our heritage. It is high time that nature is considered a financial asset and is thus included in a renewed global financial architecture. In this way funds will be ensured for resources to be better protected and restored when damaged. Remarkably, the financial losses due to habitat degradation are incomparably higher than the investments required for conserving and restoring habitats.

Substantial investments in renewable energies will also guarantee a lower impact on the environment and long-term benefits for the entire natural infrastructure. In addition, there is enormous potential for employment growth.For example, forecasts say that up to 20 million additional jobs could be created thanks to more investment in the renewable energy sector.   

The definition of a post-2010 target will have to take this process into account. It could foresee specific measures to counter biodiversity loss by assigning a real financial value to natural resources.  

• Green economy initiative

Photo: KaCey97007@Flickr

^The post-Kyoto Protocol: a major appointment for biodiversity conservation

In parallel to the 2010 biodiversity target, another international target requires revision in the next few years. The reduction limits set by the Kyoto Protocol expire in 2013; new limits will have to be established and agreed upon by 2012. 

The United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Poznan in December 2008 was one of the major steps towards the definition of a post-2012 target for climate change. The outcomes of the meeting reveal an ongoing difficulty in reaching an agreement on the emissions quotas.

The 450ppm CO2 concentration equivalent – which has been discussed in the last few years – is already obsolete. Keeping emissions under this ceiling would already mean irreversible damage to the environment. Yet, achieving an agreement on the future equivalent that would suit all stakeholders seems an even greater challenge. The scientific community suggests a reduction of the current equivalent, warning that even in the best scenario the damage that climate change causes on biodiversity would not be reduced. Unless an ambitious post-Kyoto agreement is achieved and followed up by substantial actions, the impact of climate change on biodiversity will be catastrophic. An increase of global temperature by more than 2 ºC will mean death or migration for numerous species. If the new Kyoto Protocol does not bring about real change, a new post-2010 biodiversity target will in any case fail to address its main cause.

Considering the strong link between biodiversity conservation and climate change, many now seem to agree that the post-2010 and post-2012 targets should be integrated and combined.  

• United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Poznan

^Invasive Species: EU calls for action

Last December the European Commission released a Communication on possible measures to be taken against invasive species in Europe. Following the European Union’s commitment to halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010, this Communication is crucial to mobilising joint efforts of all EU institutions and its Member States towards this issue.

Invasive species are one of the major threats to the earth’s biological diversity, along with climate change, habitat change, overexploitation and pollution. The spread of non-native species – mostly related to enhanced mobility of people and increased trade – causes the disappearance of other indigenous species across Europe and elsewhere, and threatens human well-being, agricultural production and health.

Recent research indicates that 100,822 non-native species can be found in Europe and it is estimated that at least 10-15% of these species have a negative economic or ecological impact. Threats are particularly high in the EU’s overseas entities. Conservative figures note that the damage caused by invasive species and the necessary control measures in Europe amount to EUR 12,700 million annually.

The existing measures are too fragmented for a coordinated implementation among Member States. This paper lays the foundations and outlines options for an EU engagement on invasive species to be implemented in the next year – with the aim of having a final and comprehensive strategy adopted in time for the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010 which could contribute to outlining the post-2010 regime.

• EC Communication

^Step by step: major events in 2009

What are the main appointments which will mark the developments on the review of the European Biodiversity Plan and the post-2010 target? The year 2009 will no doubt be a decisive year for biodiversity conservation policies and possible future international targets. The following events will mark the path towards a new target.

• 9-10 March, 2010 Eminent Working Group – Bonn, Germany. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity meets heads of state and governments in the first official gathering on the post-2010 regime at world level.    
• 19 March, CBD Regional Strategic Plan Consultation – Brussels. Countdown 2010 organizes a first consultation meeting on the revision of the CBD strategic plan focused on Eastern Europe.  
• 22-24 April, G8+5 Environment Ministers’ Meeting – Syracuse, Italy. The environment ministers of the G8+5 countries will convene on environmental issues before the gathering of heads of state and government in July.
• 27-28 April, Biodiversity Protection – Beyond 2010 – Athens, Greece. Before the European Parliament elections, this conference will take stock of the measures taken by the EU on biodiversity and discuss the future of the 2010 target.
• 27-28 May, Conference on Wilderness and Large Natural Habitat Areas in Europe – Prague, Czech Republic. According to tradition, Countdown 2010 will host a conference on a biodiversity-related topic with the Presidency of the EU Council. A consortium of several organizations, including IUCN, is preparing this event with the Czech government.
• September, Biodiversity in Europe – Brussels. The Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy will host a conference on progress made on biodiversity conservation in the Pan-European region.

Save your calendars!

^Do it yourself: Have your say on biodiversity!

The 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (2010 BIP) allows for a more comprehensive and consistent monitoring and assessment of global biodiversity, with a view to measuring progress towards the 2010 biodiversity target. The 2010 BIP Secretariat is currently carrying out a User Needs Survey which takes just a few minutes to complete. The Survey examines the background and interests of potential users of 2010 BIP and their preferences for its possible outputs. It is available in all six UN languages. Please note that the survey will be open until Friday, 27 February 2009.

The Countdown 2010 Secretariat invites its young audience to take part in the second International Youth Symposium on Biodiversity which will be held in Canada from 5 to 9 July, 2009. In the run up to the Symposium, the organizers are encouraging feedback on the “Youth Accord on Biodiversity” which was drafted at the first symposium in 2005. The focus of the Symposium is to develop methods to implement the Global Youth's Accord for Biodiversity. It can be found on the website. The forthcoming symposium will revise the existing text and seek ways of implementing the proposed actions.

We also encourage our partners to continue using Countdown 2010 Communications Material in their publications and website. Check out how other partners are promoting the network: ECNC, Natureparif and many others.

• 2010 BIP
• Biodiversity summit

Photo: Gaetan Lee@Flickr

^Internal: 2008 - a year of great achievements

January: Sixteen municipalities from Aabenraa to Vejle in South Denmark join the network committing themselves to concrete projects to conserve nature in their surroundings.

February: A new issue-based model of Tematea on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) is presented to delegates attending the CBD SBSSTA 13. The Countdown Declaration is signed by the city of Rome.

March: The Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is the first regional authority to sign Countdown 2010 Declaration in Serbia.

April: 1000 days left to the end of 2010. The Countdown 2010 Secretariat takes stock of what has been achieved and rolls up its sleeves to energize partners to tackle the problems still ahead.

May: More than 150 partners meet for the annual Partners’ Assembly.The CBD COP9 in Bonn encourages Parties to make use of Tematea and witnesses a training session on the use of the issue-based modules. 44 municipalities in the province of Antwerp (Belgium) join Countdown 2010 .

June: Countdown 2010 wins the REDlife award as one of the ten best initiatives to save biodiversity and contribute to the conservation of nature.

July: The conference “European Union and its Overseas Entities: strategies to counter climate change and biodiversity loss” is organized by IUCN on Reunion Island from 7 to 11 July 2008. It brings together for the first time representatives from the EU's Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories.

August: The Countdown 2010 Secretariat launches a survey among its partners to learn more about partners’ activities for the 2010 biodiversity target.

September: All 21 pioneer cities of the project Local Action on Biodiversity sign the Durban Commitment as a contribution to Countdown 2010. Japan gets ready for CBD COP10 by joining our network. One in five Danish municipalities is now partner of Countdown 2010.

October: IUCN World Conservation Congress witnesses the launch of the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity and the latest findings of the Readiness Assessment. A group of Indian associations starts a campaign for the 2010 target. Funding is secured from Belgium to initiate the development of a Tematea issue-based module on Coastal and Marine Biodiversity.

November: In its second biannual meeting, the Countdown 2010 Advisory Board encourages the Secretariat to keep up with its successes and establish a way to review the implementation of partners’ activities. A Ramsar COP10 decision promotes the use of Tematea for mutually supportive activities among biodiversity-related conventions.

December: The Mid-term Assessment of the European Biodiversity Action Plan reveals that the 2010 target is unlikely to be achieved in time and that intensive implementation efforts are needed. The European Commission releases a Communication on Invasive Species. Eighteen Dutch municipalities join Countdown 2010. Side event and poster presentation at CMS COP9 where a number of decisions made reference to Tematea.

^State of Biodiversity: The 2010 Biodiversity Challenge: Will the EU reach it?

The recently published Mid-term Assessment of the European Biodiversity Action Plan – the last major assessment of the plan before 2010 – reveals that overall biodiversity is declining in Europe, even though there are some positive trends for certain species and habitats. At the event organized by Countdown 2010, and others, at the European Parliament on 11 February the European Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas underlined that the 2010 target will not be achieved in time. Progress has been made in certain areas, though more efforts are required to effectively implement the Action Plan.

The figures on biodiversity loss illustrated in the Mid-term Assessment on the basis of the SEBI 2010 indicators are alarming. Almost 50% of the species of Community interest in Europe have an unfavourable conservation status. For example, common birds have declined by around 15% since 1980. Even worse are the figures applying to farmland birds – though the situation seems to have started stabilizing since the 1990s. Discouraging rates also apply to grassland butterflies which are reported to have declined by 60%, with no signs of recovery.

When it comes to habitat loss, SEBI 2010 indicators show that between 40 and 80 % of habitats of Community interest are deteriorating and do not comply with quality requirements. On the positive side, more areas have been listed under the Natura 2000 Network, thus enlarging European protected areas to almost 17% of the entire territory of the Union.

• Mid-term Assessment of the European Biodiversity Action Plan
• Press release on the event at the EP

^Focus on: ZOO & WILD

Countdown 2010 keeps on enlarging its global outreach. In the last few months, new partners from India have joined the network. ZOO (Zoo Outreach Organisation) is an umbrella NGO which was founded upon request of the Ministry of Environment to guide and encourage Indian zoos. It provides educational, technical and moral support to zoos in India and other countries in South Asia. WILD (Wildlife Information Liaison Development) was added a number of years later to strengthen existing projects and provide a more scientific focus.

ZOO & WILD have initiated:

• Taxon Networks focusing on Invertebrates, Reptiles, Bats, Rodents and Primates; and
• Thematic Networks for CBSGs, RISGs, and for the international Zoo Educators Association, as well as the South Asian Zoo Association (SARZAC)

Because each of the networks is distinct, when ZOO and WILD signed the Countdown 2010 Declaration, they decided to each make their own commitments for biodiversity. ZOO particularly focuses on modest but “achievable” commitments. It has developed an attractive range of calendars for 2009-2010 – one for the Amphibian crisis and one for the highly threatened Western Hoolock Gibbon. The organization also brings Countdown 2010 into all of its educational material and at their annual conference a special session is planned on the initiative. Each taxon network has also committed to reducing biodiversity loss in one species by the end of 2010. WILD will support ZOO in raising awareness of its efforts. The Zoo Outreach Organisation has also developed the Amphibian Ark campaign in South Asia for the Year of the Frog initiative.

• ZOO & WILD
• SARZAC
• Amphibian Network of South Asia (ANSA)

^LARA: Green Goals in 2010!

Cape Town, the Host City of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is looking to score more than football goals next year.

Following in the footsteps of the 2006 World Cup, hosted by Germany, and more recently the Olympic Games in China, Cape Town is showing its commitment to achieving “Green Goals” in 2010 by making the event as environmentally friendly as possible.

The Green Goal programme is a comprehensive action plan with nine target areas and a range of specific measures which seek to show the world how it can successfully host major events that also leave a positive environmental legacy.

The measures include:

• Energy-efficient technologies in stadiums and training venues, at fan parks, PVAs and other facilities
• Operational waste minimization in the stadium, fan parks, PVAs and training venues
• Biodiversity showcase garden at Green Point Urban Park
• City Beautification and tree planting campaign.

The action plan strengthens the commitment the city has undertaken by partnering with Countdown 2010 and becoming a LAB pioneer of the Durban commitment. It also enhances other actions for biodiversity conservation taken at a local level. The recently published newsletter provides a comprehensive overview of the numerous activities.

• Read Cape Town’s biannual newsletter
    

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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