- Diversity is vital
- Beauty in jeopardy
- Ecological services
- What destroys biodiversity?
- The human manipulator
- Dialogue for Sustainability
- Changing Course
Changing Course
While the challenges we face are global in nature, they require national resolve and local and individual action. We can indeed attain the 2010 Biodiversity Target – but only if efforts are redoubled at all levels. At global level, the United Nations and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity are taking the lead. These institutions are helping to create a more precise scientific picture of the state of biodiversity on Earth. Part of this is the crafting of measures that integrate the economic value of biodiversity into decision making. This needs to be made a core component of all economic decisions affecting nature.
Equity is a key element to preserving life on Earth. Genetic resources underlie biodiversity and must remain accessible for the benefit of all, with the gains arising from their use being shared fairly. Some countries have implemented legislation controlling access to genetic resources, and there are a number of cases of benefit-sharing arrangements. However, we need greater harmony at a global level.
For instance, there is no reliable central depositary of information on national access and benefit-sharing measures. It is essential that the international community develops a regime to this end, within the context provided by the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Because the most varied, and most threatened, ecosystems lie in the territories of developing countries, richer nations have a responsibility to provide specific aid to help poorer governments implement the measures designed to protect biodiversity. Sadly, in 2003 only 1% of official development assistance was earmarked for biodiversity, having decreased by an average of 6% a year since 1998.
The richer nations must be willing to support the poorer by transferring financial, human and material resources. Furthermore, all states and consumers must stop tolerating subsidies and trade agreements that do not take ecosystem services into account. Rather, they have to urge that, irrespective of their size, agriculture, forestry, fishery and trade enterprises are integrated into national management processes and planning for biodiversity.
The move towards freer trade is double-edged as far as biodiversity is concerned. On the one hand, increased trade has played an important role in the introduction of alien invasive species. On the other hand, the removal of agricultural and fishing subsidies associated with liberalised trade could reduce perverse incentives to overproduce, and therefore ease the pressure on biodiversity.
An analysis carried out for the second Global Biodiversity Outlook suggests that trade liberalisation could cause a short-term acceleration of biodiversity loss in areas like Latin America and Southern Africa, where more favourable markets for agricultural exports will potentially lead to more conversion of forests and grasslands. Preventing such impacts will involve both better national planning and also better integration between trade policies as negotiated through the World Trade Organisation, and environmental agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Ultimately, only a sense of common responsibility can help us achieve the 2010 biodiversity target. All our actions, big and small, have an impact and each individual has the power to change our present course.
Each person has the power to change
Our very personal actions – the total sum of our many individual decisions in everyday life – will also determine the future of biodiversity and thus life on our planet. Every individual can help to change the current course – through actions large and small, at home and at work.
By purchasing certified, organically grown or fair trade products, the negative impacts from production on the ecological and social conditions of the country of origin can be mitigated.
Taking the train, the bike or the stairs not only have a vitalizing and economic benefit, but contribute tremendously to the protection of biodiversity.
Even such a small action as switching off appliances on stand-by, using energy saving bulbs – or a bit bolder: fitting double glazed windows – can make a big difference to biodiversity by reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses and thus their impact on ecosystems.
“I'm going to keep an eye on my behaviour as a consumer: buying organic products, even if they may be a little dearer, and opting for regional produce and seasonal products. I don’t need apples from the other side of the world or strawberries in February.”
-- Suhel Al-Janabi, Germany
“Recycling! I want to teach my children, my family and my friends how important this method is to preserve life on Earth.”
-- Marie Aminata Khan, Sierra Leone
“I’m teaching my children to plant trees. I’m showing them how things grow. It’s fun for them, and easy too, even though we live right in the middle of town.”
-- Nick Rance, Great Britain
"I would like to remind all of us again and again of our origins and to learn from the knowhow and the holistic way of living in local communities."
-- Esther Mwaura-Muiru, Kenya
“I spend several weeks a year scuba-diving with various dive tourism operations. I commit to raising awareness among divers and dive operators on wider issues of conservation of marine environment among divers and dive operators.”
-- Sarah Timpson, USA
“Society has to be mobilized to protect biodiversity. Therefore it is necessary to pay contribution to the knowledge, wisdom and ideas of local communities. I want to help launch initiatives addressing this.”
-- Benson Venegas, Costa Rica
“My resolutions for the 2010 Biodiversity Target are: (1) increase my personal financial donations to biodiversity conservation non-governmental organisations around the world, (2) continue not to eat meat and communicate to others how this can significantly reduce our ecological footprint, (3) work towards a ‘zero waste’ society (i.e. by redesigning resource-use systems so that waste is reduced to zero).”
-- Charles McNeill, USA
“I am just finding out about the purchase of a hybrid car, use public transport or cycle more often, practise recycling and have switched to an energy supplier generating electricity with hydropower. I will relentlessly seek such small and larger steps.”
-- Alain Berranger, France