Save Biodiversity 06/09 - Update from Countdown 2010

In this Issue

• Feature: Biodiversity and climate change: two sides of the same coin
  • Copenhagen: hopes for the future
  • From mountains to seamounts
  • Climate change, energy and the Natura 2000 network
  • Tematea: putting the pieces of the puzzle together
• Do it yourself: Celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity
• Internal: Music for biodiversity: Carlinhos Brown is a new Countdown 2010 Ambassador!
• State of biodiversity: Extinction crisis continues apace
• Focus on...Jerusalem joins Countdown 2010
• LARA: Cities and Biodiversity Initiative

^ Dear Countdown 2010 Partners, Dear Readers,

Time is running out for 2010. This is the last issue of the Countdown 2010 newsletter before the beginning of the International Year of Biodiversity.

We have decided to focus the present issue on the linkages between climate change and biodiversity, in view of the upcoming discussions for a new agreement on emission targets in Copenhagen in December. The alarming figures of the latest update of the IUCN Red List demonstrate the need for a bold agreement on climate change which will help curb its negative impacts on biodiversity. Countdown 2010 also continues to work closely with the European Parliament Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainability and recently helped to organise a meeting on the Climate Change negotiations in the Parliament at which representatives of the USA, China, India, Bangladesh, the Maldives and the EU among others attended.

We are very glad to post the results of a public awareness study made by the Union for Ethical BioTrade following our call for surveys in our last newsletter. You can find the main outcomes of the survey and a link to the full article here. We encourage all of you to always keep us updated with your public awareness efforts on biodiversity.

Countdown 2010 is also very pleased to announce a new Ambassador. Carlinhos Brown, a Brazilian musician and artist, has joined forces with us to help spread the biodiversity message during the International Year of Biodiversity. Help us too! Use the International Year of Biodiversity logo in all your communications materials! 

Don’t miss our update on local authorities! Find out about the Cities and Biodiversity initiative of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the first city in the Middle East to join Countdown 2010!

You can always keep yourself updated with Countdown 2010 on Facebook and Twitter!

Enjoy reading! 

Sebastian Winkler
Head of Countdown 2010
26 November, 2009

^ Feature: Biodiversity and climate change: two sides of the same coin

Biodiversity is in decline worldwide, as confirmed by the latest assessment of the IUCN Red List. Along with pollution, invasive species, habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. Its increasing impact not only affects the overall health of our planet but also amplifies the effects of the other drivers of biodiversity loss and those species which are susceptible to climate change are at increased risk of extinction.

By conserving the earth’s natural infrastructure - the biological diversity and the ecosystems that keep the planet habitable - we can both mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts. Failing to do so could compromise the long-term ability of ecosystems to regulate climate.

With their potential to absorb and store vast amounts of carbon, forests, wetlands, peatlands and even mangroves have a bearing on the magnitude of climate change, and therefore on biodiversity. Measures to conserve and better manage these natural assets are necessary to attenuate the current threat and help adapt to the changes.

Climate change mitigation and biodiversity resilience are vital for human well-being. The negative effects of climate change are affecting people around the world. Sea levels are rising, threatening island nations and coastal areas, storms are becoming more violent bringing floods and landslides, and droughts are intensifying. This has even greater devastating effects on people living in developing countries. The loss of biodiversity and the resulting reduction of ecosystem services aggravates the situation even further.

As climate change and biodiversity loss are so intrinsically linked, it is impossible to halt the loss of biodiversity without addressing climate change, as it is equally impossible to solve climate change without protecting biodiversity and its related ecosystem services.

^Copenhagen: hopes for the future

All eyes will be on Copenhagen in December when the international community gathers for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to try to seal a new agreement on emission targets. World leaders will review the Kyoto Protocol which they adopted in 1997 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5.2% below 1990 levels which will expire in 2012.

Several options for a new deal are being considered: a second commitment period for Kyoto Protocol signatories, an entirely new agreement (which may or may not integrate Kyoto commitments), or a set of non-legally binding decisions. So far, developed countries have set varying commitments on greenhouse gas emissions post-2012. For example, the European Union has committed to reduce 20% compared to 1990 levels by 2020 and 30% if other countries follow suit.

Some developed countries are urging large emitters from developing countries such as China and India to undertake emissions reductions under the new regime. This has been so far opposed by the developing countries as a group. Developing countries see climate change adaptation as a priority as they are the least responsible for global greenhouse gas emissions, yet most affected by climate change impacts. They are calling for sufficient financing to cover their adaptation and mitigation needs and want to see financial commitments on the table by Copenhagen.

The new agreement has to recognize that nature can provide solutions to tackle climate change. Investing and managing nature will ultimately help people adapt to the impacts of climate change. Therefore the inclusion of nature-based solutions to adaptation and mitigation is critical, because it can simultaneously reduce emissions, slow global warming and provide a range of benefits for people and biodiversity. Ecosystem-based adaptation and the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries (REDD) mechanism are the solutions which numerous environmental organizations hope to see included in the post-Kyoto emissions agreement.

Nicolas Paez, a 19-year old economics student from Columbia University, will represent the youth voice at COP15 after winning a trip to participate in the conference alongside the IUCN delegation with the connect2earth competition. He will be participating in a number of IUCN and WWF activities and events and will report back to the connect2earth community on his experiences there.

• connect2earth.org

^From mountains to seamounts

As the earth’s temperature warms up, vegetation and wildlife will move to higher altitudes with a catastrophic impact on ecosystem balances. For a country like Nepal which heavily depends on the well being of the Himalayas and the ecological functions it provides, such imbalances could have irreversible consequences. The Climate for Life Campaign led by WWF Nepal aims to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change in the Himalayas which should result in an increased global sense of responsibility and substantial support for Nepal and its neighboring countries.

The Climate for Life Campaign has just started an expedition in Europe, one of the highest per capita greenhouse gas emitting regions of the world, whose actions and decisions will determine the future of hundreds of millions of people, also outside its territory. The Campaign Ambassadors, two renowned Everest Summiteers, will visit Brno, Bratislava, London, Rome, Gland, Chamonix, Vienna, and Brussels before arriving to Copenhagen for the COP15.  

But mountains are not the only ones affected by climate change. The impact of a rise in temperature and increased CO2 also acutely affects the oceans. IUCN, in collaboration with other organizations, has just launched an expedition in the Indian Ocean to study the impacts of climate change on deep-water species in order to help set up protective measures.

Surveys of seamounts, underwater mountains of volcanic origin that are hotspots of marine biodiversity will be carried out. This will help determine priority areas for the establishment of future marine protected areas and improve the management and conservation of the fragile species and ecosystems on oceans.

You can follow Sarah Gotheil, from IUCN Global Marine Programme on this expedition through her blog on BBC Earth News.

• Climate4life.org
• IUCN's Sarah Gotheil blog

Picture Larva of a lobster by Oddgeir Alvheim

^Climate change, energy and the Natura 2000 network

What is the impact of climate change and renewable energies on biodiversity and the Natura 2000 network? IUCN Regional Office for Pan-Europe carried out a project funded by the European Commission in cooperation with a number of partners which sought to assess this impact and formulate some recommendations for future biodiversity policy in the European Union.

The Natura 2000 network is the centrepiece of biodiversity and conservation policy of the European Union. As such, the network is one of the main vehicles for achieving the 2010 Biodiversity Target. Climate change, however, may have significant negative impacts. The study examined the vulnerability to climate change of some species which is an essential indicator to develop appropriate adaptation measures.

On the basis of existing and projected effects of climate change on biodiversity, the study highlighted that the current direct impact will become more serious in the future and indirect impacts have to be tackled with even greater attention. Both direct and indirect impacts may delay the implementation of biodiversity legislation as they complicate procedures. 

The study assessed the impacts on biodiversity of climate change mitigation technologies thought to be the vanguard of the future expansion of EU renewable energy (RE) infrastructure, as well as some promising novel technologies yet to breach the market.  

Although impacts were found to be highly case-specific, the authors deduced that, on a per-unit-energy-output basis, hydropower schemes inflict the heaviest impacts on biodiversity with the lowest potential for mitigation. However, it is important to note that unlike other RE technologies, hydroelectric dams can serve multiple functions in addition to electricity production, such as flood control and water provisioning for irrigation, industrial use, and direct human consumption.

Amongst mainstream RE technologies, offshore wind farms were deemed to inflict the lowest impacts on biodiversity and, with adherence to best practice, potentially confer net benefits to biodiversity. These benefits are attributable to the exclusion of commercial fishing pressure and the ‘artificial reef effect’ of the submerged structures.

Another important consideration made in the report is that there is the risk that as climate change is seen as the overriding environmental concern by the international community, biodiversity-friendly policies and measures could experience reduced implementation and enforcement. On the other hand, the rise of climate change to the top of the political agenda is also an opportunity as it keeps the attention of the international community focused on the need for increased protection of the environment.

^Tematea: putting the pieces of the puzzle together

Tematea is an IUCN-UNEP initiative to help national experts in governments, but also NGOs and companies, to better understand the commitments of biodiversity related conventions and how they relate to them. Issues which are crucial for the 2010 Biodiversity Target are currently covered in Tematea. Six modules have been developed for this purpose, each one dealing with a specific subject which concerns biodiversity. The Climate Change and Biodiversity module is one of these, recognizing the close link between the two issues and focusing on the relationship between the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and climate change.

The Biodiversity and Climate Change module of Tematea brings together all the actions related to these two subjects which are foreseen in the following multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs): the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention), and the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES).

Tematea is an extremely useful tool to extract information which is relevant to one’s own remit in the numerous conventions and agreements related to biodiversity. To make it even easier, the Tematea modules: (1) are available in English, French, Spanish and Russian, (2) have a search function, and (3) have been divided into sections (e.g. assessments and monitoring of biodiversity loss; climate change adaptation and mitigation; economic instruments for technology transfer and diffusion; communication and public awareness). 

• Tematea
• Issue-based module on Biodiversity and Climate Change

^Do it yourself: Celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity

The year 2010 was declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB). The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) will lead the celebrations with the support of numerous partners, including Countdown 2010. To promote the year, the SCBD has developed a logo in close collaboration with Futerra Sustainability Communications and Countdown 2010. Everybody who intends to organize an event or any other initiative for the IYB is invited to use this logo in all publications and communication tools.

The logo is designed to convey a sense of discovery and realization. A host of symbolic iconographic elements are included within the design to depict the scope of biodiversity, which includes marine, flora and fauna aspects. Together, they demonstrate how biodiversity is life and how we, as humans, are realizing our place within this journey.
The logo consists of three core components:

• The year “2010” that frames the campaign and the logo elements.
• The iconographic elements symbolising biodiversity. These include fish, waves, a flamingo, an adult and child, and a tree.
• The title of the campaign “2010 International Year of Biodiversity.”

The electronic version of the logo in the six official languages of the United Nations can be found on the CBD website: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish. Some templates including the logo have also been produced by the SCBD.

The usage of the IYB logo and templates should follow the SCBD guidelines. You can find more information on the CBD website at www.cbd.int/2010 or by contacting the Secretariat at IYB2010@cbd.int.

• Countdown 2010 IYB section
• IYB website

^Internal: Music for biodiversity: Carlinhos Brown is a new Countdown 2010 Ambassador!

Raising awareness of biodiversity is key to ensuring people realise the importance of biodiversity to their lives and thus take action to conserve it. As the International Year of Biodiversity comes closer Countdown 2010 wants to go beyond the usual channels and use music and arts to spread the biodiversity message.

The popular Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown has become the first artist to commit to Countdown 2010. Carlinhos will act as Countdown 2010 Ambassador for the International Year of Biodiversity and is working with one of our Countdown 2010 Partners to develop a special event during the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in June 2010.

Carlinhos Brown is well known for his long-standing music career. He uses music as an instrument to bring people together to enjoy themselves, and also as a social tool to help improve the conditions of the people in his native neighbourhood. He has founded a non-profit organization dedicated to education, cultural, and community development programs in his city and a professional music school and studios.

In 2005, he brought the Brazilian Carnival into the streets of several Spanish cities in a series of outdoor concerts. A similar idea is now being developed for the FIFA World Cup taking place next year in South Africa, which was the birthplace of the 2010 international biodiversity target at the Johannesburg Summit in 2002.

• Countdown 2010 Ambassadors’ page
• Carlinhos website

^State of Biodiversity: Extinction crisis continues apace

The latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ shows that 17,291 species out of the 47,677 assessed species are threatened with extinction.

The results reveal 21 percent of all known mammals, 30 percent of all known amphibians, 12 percent of all known birds, and 28 percent of reptiles, 37 percent of freshwater fishes, 70 percent of plants, 35 percent of invertebrates assessed so far are under threat.

The IUCN Red List shows that 1,895 of the planet’s 6,285 amphibians are in danger of extinction, making them the most threatened group of species known to date. Of these, 39 are already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, 484 are Critically Endangered, 754 are Endangered and 657 are Vulnerable. The main causes for this trend are habitat loss, combined with climate change, pollution and the presence of invasive species. The latest analysis of the IUCN Red List shows that the 2010 target will not be met. It’s time for governments and all stakeholders to use the International Year of Biodiversity to heighten the world’s attention and more importantly more action towards saving biodiversity.

The Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis – in the picture) has moved from Critically Endangered to Extinct in the Wild. The species was only known from the Kihansi Falls in Tanzania, where it was formerly abundant with a population of at least 17,000. Its decline is due to the construction of a dam upstream of the Kihansi Falls that removed 90 percent of the original water flow to the gorge. The fungal disease chytridiomycosis was probably responsible for the toad’s final population crash.

• Read the full article on IUCN website
• “Red List – Black Day” an opinion piece by Paul Grigoriev, IUCN Regional Programme Coordinator for Pan-Europe

^Focus on: Jerusalem joins Countdown 2010

On 23 October, Naomi Tsur, the Deputy Mayor for Environment of the City of Jerusalem signed the Countdown 2010 Declaration during an event attended by local governments and civil society representatives. The City of Jerusalem is the first local authority to become partner of Countdown 2010 in Israel.

In addition to the signing of the Declaration, the event provided a platform to discuss plans for the International Year of Biodiversity and the D2 report of the study on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). During the event the City also became a partner of the Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) initiative led by ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability).

For the 2010 Biodiversity Target, Jerusalem committed to complete several processes in the municipality. Among these:

• A survey of 160 Urban Nature Sites – a joint project of the municipality and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel supported by the Beracha Fund.
• A statutory authorization, granting recognition of and protection to 40 urban nature sites throughout the city.
• The planning of the first urban nature park in Israel, a 50-acre enclave, close to the city center, home to a small herd of gazelles, hemmed in by surrounding development (this project was initiated by the Jerusalem chapter of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel).
• The development of Bible Hill, a small 8-acre patch of special botanical interest.

For more information click below:

• City of Jerusalem on Countdown 2010 website

^LARA: Cities and Biodiversity Initiative

In May 2008, 191 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity have clearly recognized the importance of engaging cities and local authorities in the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In light of this, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is working closely with local governments and relevant partners and coordinating their efforts in implementing the three objectives of the CBD and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The main mandates of the “Cities and Biodiversity Initiative” are as follows:

• Developing a draft action plan on urban biodiversity 2010-2020.
• Developing, testing and implementing the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity (lead by National Biodiversity Centre, Singapore).
• Encouraging cities and local authorities’ participation in the celebrations of the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB), as a unique opportunity to promote biodiversity worldwide.

The action plan aims to provide guidance to the CBD Parties on how to support their local governments in their biodiversity management and collaborate with them to deliver on their commitments for implementing the CBD. The Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity - a collaborative platform launched in 2008 of which Countdown 2010 is a partner - will meet in Curitiba, Brazil, in January 2010, to discuss the plan. A summit dedicated to cities and biodiversity is also being planned for the 10th Conference of the Parties to the CBD (CBD COP10).

To promote best practices for local action on biodiversity, the CBD Secretariat is currently collecting case studies and lessons learned in close cooperation with ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability). ICLEI and other partners are also compiling a guidebook on biodiversity management. As a part of this process, the CBD Secretariat prepared a questionnaire asking for information on the current interface between national and local governments on biodiversity management. The questionnaire is mainly intended for local government officials, but contributions from all sectors would be highly appreciated. The questionnaire can be found on the CBD website at: www.cbd.int/authorities/casestudies.shtml.

At the European level, the European Commission has included nature and biodiversity criteria for their assessment of identifying the greenest city in Europe within the Green Capital Award. The new call for the European Green Capitals 2012-2013 is now out.

• Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity
• European Green Capital Award

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 http://www.countdown2010.net/resources/newsletter.