Rio+20 and the importance of achieving the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity ( ) and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets

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1 IUCN Policy Brief IUCN Position Paper Rio+20 and the importance of achieving the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity ( ) and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2010 is highly relevant to the issue of sustainable development and the outcomes of Rio Although work to achieve all the targets (which are themselves interlinked) will contribute to a green economy and/or the strengthening of the institutional framework for sustainable development, some are particularly relevant to the Rio + 20 outcomes as described below. IUCN s overarching conclusion is that the Rio outcomes must in effect support the achievement of the targets by Put another way, a truly sustainable future will be possible only if the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and its Aichi targets are achieved. Moving into a green economy demands, among other things, recognition of the role that biodiversity and ecosystems play in economic affairs. Biodiversity in all three of its components: genes, species and ecosystems is now widely recognized as the suppliers of essential services to humanity, requiring their conservation, protection and inclusion in global economic policy. Biodiversity is therefore the foundation of green in green economy. If the economic system is not predicated on the conservation of biodiversity for both people and nature, then it cannot be considered green. Strategic Goal A. Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society Target 1: By 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably. Understanding and awareness of nature, often gained though individual and cultural connections to - and use of - nature, underpin the willingness of individuals to make behavioural changes in favour of biodiversity and are necessary to create the political will for communities and governments to act. Such awareness needs to be increased through formal and non-formal education, widened to encompass the environment in ever growing circles of geographical area and combined with an inherent understanding of biodiversity, as well as the interconnections with our own lives. Real experiences of, and reliance on nature will inspire people to take meaningful action and share their experience and choices within their local, national and global communities. This will create an environment where people, institutions and governments fully understand the need to protect nature, value at every level the importance of biodiversity, are inspired to create new ways of living, and develop a commitment to sustainable development that benefits people and the planet. Target 2: By 2020, at the latest, biodiversity values have been integrated into national and local development and poverty reduction strategies and planning processes and are being incorporated into national accounting, as appropriate, and reporting systems. 1

2 It is widely recognised that the values of biodiversity are not widely reflected in decision-making. The objective of this target is to ensure that the diverse values of biodiversity and opportunities derived from its conservation and sustainable use are recognized and reflected in all relevant public and private decision-making. IUCN joins those who recognize GDP as a misused, inaccurate and insufficient indicator of human wellbeing, and expresses its willingness to support governments, and others, in the development of alternative measures of economic prosperity, building notably on efforts to go beyond GDP. The recognition of the inherent value of vital public goods, such as biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides, and the incorporation of these values into decision making, is absolutely essential to building a green economy. Although there has been significant progress in strengthening the economic case for natural capital, notably through the global study on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), more work is needed in order to make sure that the main lessons learned are adequately integrated into policy and practice. Mainstreaming environmental values into national accounts is a commitment that several governments have already taken through Agenda 21 (Chapter 8, section D) Establishing Systems for Integrated Environmental Accounting ). IUCN believes that, by meeting Target 2 of the Biodiversity Strategic Plan, governments will make a considerable step towards measuring the transition towards a green economy. The Global Partnership for Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) and the revisions of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans by all signatories to the CBD offer a strong foundation for further strengthening this important area of work. Target 3: By 2020, at the latest, incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity are eliminated, phased out or reformed in order to minimize or avoid negative impacts, and positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are developed and applied, consistent and in harmony with the Convention and other relevant international obligations, taking into account national socio economic conditions. Government encouragement of unsustainable practices through subsidies and other incentives must end. We are paying to make markets less efficient (more wasteful) and that damages the (undervalued) natural capital. This is a lose-lose proposition. Taxpayers are subsidizing our dependence on fossil fuels, deforestation, decimation of global fish stocks, and inefficient and environmentally damaging agricultural practices at a scale of approximately US$1 trillion per year according to the TEEB report. Removal of such policies and incentives has a double dividend. It improves the efficiency of existing markets and reduces the tax burden on people, the benefits of which could be reinvested in policies that better reflect environmental values and, thereby, further improve the efficiency of resource management decisions, including, but not exclusively those transacted in markets. The transition to a green economy needs to be built on a stronger appreciation of the role of healthy ecosystems in supporting local livelihoods as well as providing investment opportunities for business. IUCN strongly encourages governments to support the generation of incentives for conservation through sustainable use of wild resources and develop an enabling environment for innovative economic tools, incentives, and policies, including (International) Payments for Ecosystem Services. This would account more fully for the public benefits of ecosystems and support the development of sustainable local economies. Efforts by business to integrate forms 2

3 of footprint accounting to reduce waste in their production processes and supply chains should be applauded as both good for society as well as good business practice. Corporate Social Responsibility with an environmental focus constitutes a solid step forward toward a businessenvironment partnership. However, efforts by business to move from mitigating the negative to exploring the potential for positive effect of business practices on nature (e.g., biomimicry, certified agricultural and wild sourced products, protected areas that embrace human-ecological landscape management approaches, and eco-tourism) should be strongly welcomed and encouraged through public policy and as a relatively unrecognized source of finance. Target 4: By 2020, at the latest, Governments, business and stakeholders at all levels have taken steps to achieve or have implemented plans for sustainable production and consumption and have kept the impacts of use of natural resources well within safe ecological limits. Our economies need to support the people who manage their resources sustainably. Addressing the tragedy of hunger and malnutrition, which affects close to one billion people worldwide, will require the deployment of economic systems based on productive and resilient food systems. Improvements in food security and reductions in poverty and hunger depend upon the reduction of waste in the food system (estimated at some 30-50% by some sources); improved access to food, which includes the ability to capture income from non-agricultural sources; information, infrastructure and other dimensions; improved stability of food supplies, which are influenced by economic, political and environmental factors, and includes improved sustainable management of harvest of wild plants and animals; as well as simply the production of food. IUCN encourages governments to take a broad view of the food security challenge in recognizing these additional dimensions of the concept as well as the fundamental dependence of production systems on biodiversity. IUCN is working with private sector collaborators in the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) and intergovernmental agencies on the Agri-food Task Force on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) to support the need for increased investments in strengthening food, water, energy and human security. IUCN is promoting the use of innovative solutions to find the optimal balance between natural and built infrastructure, and to recognize constraints where they are binding, requiring tradeoffs. IUCN therefore encourages governments to support the 10 year Framework of Programmes on SCP. Strategic Goal B. Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use Target 5: By 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced. Habitat destruction is the most important factor driving biodiversity loss, and loss of largely undisturbed or primary habitat is a particular priority for addressing this loss. Degradation, which reduces the capacity of ecosystems to provide goods and services, is similarly important. Habitat fragmentation, though more difficult to quantify at a global level, is a related pressure driving biodiversity loss. While economic and social pressures are likely to mean continued habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, the rate of change needs to be substantially reduced. Whilst restoration activities can restore many of the attributes of primary ecosystems, 3

4 they cannot be restored completely in the short to medium term. The emphasis of this target should be on preventing the degradation and loss of high-biodiversity value habitats, such as primary forests and many wetlands. Reduction in the loss and degradation of natural habitats should be achieved through improvements in land use planning, enhanced protected area system design and enhanced mechanisms for natural resource governance combined with recognition of the economic and social value of ecosystem services provided by natural habitats. Catchment value (water provision), erosion control, the value of carbon sequestration by forests and wetlands, provisioning services supporting sustainable recreational, subsistence and commercial use, and other ecosystem services (such as denitrification by wetlands) provide incentives for reducing the net loss of these habitats, and reversing their decline. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is garnering interest as a means to scientifically assess the risk of ecosystem collapse, and encourage conservation action to restore and better manage ecosystems so that they continue to provide fundamental goods and services. It will provide spatial information on the rate of change in extent and condition of ecosystems throughout the world, setting a baseline for monitoring ecosystem status over time. When integrated with the other IUCN knowledge products The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the World Database on Protected areas and Key Biodiversity Areas this new tool will contribute to the generation of the most authoritative depiction available of the status of biodiversity and its conservation. Global coverage of all terrestrial, marine, freshwater and subterranean ecosystems is planned for The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems will also provide one important means to assess how green economic development is in future i.e. the extent to which development supports (or not) ecosystem functionality and, as needed, restoration. Mechanisms for achieving this include payments for provision of environmental services, greater national level policy support for sustainable land use and wildlife management which embraces the importance of ecosystems goods and services, and the means to link improved ecosystem management with macroeconomic decision making. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems process will help integrate ecosystem management into land use and economic decision-making, highlighting the influence of diverse governance arrangements on ecosystem management. Target 6: By 2020 all fish and invertebrate stocks and aquatic plants are managed and harvested sustainably, legally and applying ecosystem based approaches, so that overfishing is avoided, recovery plans and measures are in place for all depleted species, fisheries have no significant adverse impacts on threatened species and vulnerable ecosystems and the impacts of fisheries on stocks, species and ecosystems are within safe ecological limits. A strong call by governments at Rio+20 for global fisheries reform should provide an important impetus to achieving sustainable fisheries. Inspired global leadership is needed if we are to recover depleted fish stocks, protect marine biodiversity, improve transparency and accountability, end harmful subsidies, reduce overcapacity and combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, thereby contributing to the multi-pronged efforts needed for healthy marine economies and ecosystems. Eighty-five percent of global marine fish stocks are already fully fished, overfished, depleted or recovering, leaving little room for expansion to feed growing populations or support livelihoods. The dream of the limitless, inexhaustible wealth of the oceans was false, with over 33% of 4

5 global fish stocks now overexploited or depleted. Rapid expansion and poor management of offshore fisheries together with poor enforcement means the status of straddling and high seas fish stocks is almost twice as bad as the global average: more than 60% of the straddling and high seas fish stocks are overexploited or depleted. Fisheries mismanagement including problems related to overcapacity, harmful subsidies and illegal fishing is costing society an estimated US$50 billion in lost resources every year, imperilling food security and economic revenue for many. Mismanagement and destructive fishing practices such as deep sea bottom trawling continue to destroy important fisheries habitat, imperil many species and disrupt marine ecosystems and food web dynamics. Smallscale artisanal fisheries are often jeopardised by overexploitation by commercial fisheries and lack of support for traditional management structures. Fisheries in inland waters provide 33% of the world s small-scale fish catch, employing over 60 million people, of whom 33 million are women. In contrast to marine fisheries where overfishing is the primary concern, environmental pressures in inland waters are generally the most critical. IUCN therefore encourages greater adoption of ecosystem based management for inland fisheries. International leaders have stressed the fundamental importance of marine and freshwater ecosystems and resources as a foundation for sustainable development for many countries. Despite recent progress, not enough is being done. It is time to fully implement previous commitments but it is also time for deeper reforms and commitments. IUCN remains eager to work with governments at the global, regional and national levels to deliver a significant scaleup of ambition and action to achieve fisheries that are equitable and socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. Target 7: By 2020 areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably, ensuring conservation of biodiversity. Intensive agriculture, aquaculture and forestry can be damaging to biodiversity. The unsustainable consumption of water, use and run-off of pesticides and excess fertilizers, escape of non-native species from aquaculture, and conversion of natural habitats to uniform monocultures, amongst other factors, has major negative impacts on biodiversity inside and outside of agricultural areas, as well as on forest, inland water and coastal ecosystems. The increasing demand for food, fibre and fuel is leading to increasing losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, sustainable management not only contributes to biodiversity conservation but can also deliver benefits to production systems in terms of services such as soil fertility, erosion control, enhanced pollination and reduced pest outbreaks, as well as contributing to the well-being and sustainable livelihoods of local communities who manage such natural resources. There are many efforts by governments, indigenous and local communities, NGOs and the private sector to promote good agricultural, aquaculture and forestry practices and to apply law and governance mechanisms. The Rio + 20 outcomes should bear in mind the need to apply sustainability criteria in these sectors, noting that given the diversity of production systems and environmental conditions, each sector has developed a variety of sustainability criteria. Customary use of biodiversity by indigenous and local communities can often offer lessons of 5

6 wider applicability and could be enhanced by increasingly delegating governance and management rights and responsibilities to the local level. Target 8: By 2020, pollution, including from excess nutrients, has been brought to levels that are not detrimental to ecosystem function and biodiversity. Pollution poses a serious threat to biodiversity. Nutrient loading, primarily of nitrogen and phosphorus, is a major and increasing cause of biodiversity loss and ecosystem dysfunction, particularly in wetland, coastal and dryland areas, including through eutrophication and the creation of hypoxic dead zones associated with severe and ongoing losses of valuable ecosystem services. Better control of sources of pollution, including efficiency in fertilizer use and better management of animal wastes, coupled with the use of wetlands as natural filtration plants where appropriate, can be used to bring nutrient levels below those that are critical for ecosystem functioning, while also allowing for increased fertilizer use in areas where it is necessary to meet soil fertility and food security needs. Appropriate regulatory frameworks can assist in both developed and emerging economies. Similarly, the development of national water quality guidelines could help to limit pollution and excess nutrients from entering freshwater and marine ecosystems. Target 9: By 2020, invasive alien species and pathways are identified and prioritized, priority species are controlled or eradicated, and measures are in place to manage pathways to prevent their introduction and establishment. Invasive Alien Species are one of the leading and most rapidly growing threats to biodiversity as well as to food security and human, animal and plant health, costing the global economy many hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Target 9 calls for a hierarchical approach to respond to this threat, based on prevention as the first line of defence; early detection and rapid action when prevention fails; eradication; and, finally, management of established invasions. It determines the priorities for work in the next decade, focused on prioritization and management of key pathways of invasions, and on identification and targeting of the most harmful invasive alien species. To meet these aims it is crucial to raise awareness at all levels of the threats posed by biological invasions, with particular focus on the management of invasive alien species on islands and in protected areas. Awareness of the need to regulate import of species and risk assessment of relevant economic activities is also necessary. Strengthening cooperation between CBD, IUCN and international standard setting organisations such as CITES, International Plant Protection Convention (IPCC), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Trade Organisation to improve trade regulatory processes for minimising the spread of invasives is essential. Promotion of voluntary and regulatory approaches to prevention, involving key sectors of society and developing early warning and rapid response frameworks, based on information from The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the Global Invasive Species Database are also crucial measures, together with the development of science based prioritization tools for eradications of key invasive alien species. Target 10: By 2015, the multiple anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs, and other vulnerable ecosystems impacted by climate change or ocean acidification are minimized, so as to maintain their integrity and functioning. 6

7 A call for a reduction in the pressures that reduce the function and integrity of ecosystems, particularly in the context of climate change, makes this target of fundamental importance to the Rio + 20 outcomes. Coral reefs have long been acknowledged as a flagship for highly diverse and productive ecosystems but are amongst the most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change and ocean acidification. Other marine ecosystems also vulnerable to climate change and acidification include mussel and oyster beds and open ocean food webs sustained by calcifying organisms that are primary and secondary producers. Many terrestrial ecosystems, including forest, grassland, peatland, wetland and agricultural systems, are vulnerable to climate change. These ecosystems sustain billions of people highly dependent on the services they generate; many of them have already been altered, and their resilience reduced, reducing their ability to buffer against the impacts of climate change. Successful Rio+20 outcomes will include efforts by governments and non-state actors to reduce the direct pressures on vulnerable ecosystems. Action to reduce local pressures on such ecosystems need to be vastly scaled up to maintain and improve ecosystem resilience. Actions to limit the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and oceans need to be urgently implemented to keep the planetary climate within an envelope that is not damaging to ecosystem services. To assess progress in achieving this target the development of, metrics and analytical procedures to quantify ecosystem health and monitor ocean acidification from national to global scales are also essential, a point which should be reflected in the Rio+20 outcomes. Strategic Goal C: Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity Target 11: By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes. Protected areas are a tried and tested approach that has been applied for centuries to conserve nature and associated cultural resources by local communities, indigenous peoples, governments and private organizations. They remain one of the most diverse and adaptable management and institutional arrangements where commitments can be measured, evaluated and enhanced over time. IUCN s six protected area Management Categories and four Governance Types embrace the diversity of approaches for management and participation applied globally. Apart from their role in ensuring the persistence of biodiversity and the flow of benefits through managing uses sustainably, IUCN sees connected networks of protected areas as contributing solutions to a range of global problems including climate change, water provision, food security, disaster risk reduction and human health and welfare. There has been continued growth in protected areas with currently around 13% of terrestrial areas and 5 % of coastal areas protected. Very little of the open ocean has been protected despite progress in a few regions, because the lack of a global agreement for conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction is hampering efforts to scale up MPA systems. National governments continue to support their commitments by designating 7

8 new areas and recognizing existing areas conserved by communities. However, there remains much more to be done to achieve the levels of protection, connectivity, management and governance implied by Target 11. IUCN, with UNEP-WCMC, is tracking progress towards the achievement of Target 11, and will report findings in the first ever Protected Planet Report to be released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September Recognizing that outcomes are the most vital measure of success, IUCN is working with partner organizations to better understand how the world s protected area systems are conserving biodiversity, and to identify where the gaps in protection exist. This involves bringing together various approaches developed to identify areas of importance for birds (BirdLife International s IBAs), plants (Plantlife International s IPAs), freshwater species, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites and Prime Butterfly Areas amongst others. It also embraces an approach whereby IUCN, through its facilitation of the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, is helping governments to identify marine areas of ecological or biological significance beyond national jurisdiction, the most underrepresented realm. Building on the widely applied methods for evaluating management effectiveness, IUCN is piloting the development of a new standard for a Green List of Well-Managed Protected Areas, to signify that minimum standards are being achieved and to avoid the pitfalls of paper parks. IUCN is also applying these standards within its official advisory role to the World Heritage Convention (covering c.10% of the land and sea currently included in protected areas), and will be reporting in 2013 on the Conservation Outlook for these flagship protected areas, and will publish a new analysis of the remaining gaps on the World Heritage List in Autumn Perhaps the most significant contributions that IUCN is making through its expert networks, is to support the CBD and national governments to develop the institutional and individual capacity to manage the complexity of protected area system and site management. A flagship initiative is to develop capacity in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific countries through BIOPAMA, an EUfunded intervention that will respond to priority information and capacity needs, to provide guidance and to support implementation towards Target 11. Target 12: By 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained. The species level component of biodiversity is the most tangible and widely understood. Species, in terms of their value, are of huge benefits to people economically, socially, aesthetically, culturally and spiritually; their loss results in an impoverishment for all of humankind. Yet the world s species are impacted by a number of threatening processes, including habitat destruction and degradation, overexploitation, invasive alien species, human disturbance, pollution and climate change. What is more, an increasing number of threats, such as ocean acidification, ocean warming, and emerging infectious diseases (including the fungal disease chytridiomycosis that is affecting many amphibians) cannot yet be controlled in the wild on a time-scale necessary to prevent extinctions. It should also be noted that unlike other negative environmental trends, extinction is inherently irreversible, and the loss of every species forecloses future options. 8

9 Governments have agreed various international and sub-global targets to reduce biodiversity loss, including target 12 (the strongest commitment ever made by the world s governments to combat the escalating extinction crisis) and Goal 7 of the Millennium Development Goals. Given that the drivers of extinction come from economic sectors such as energy, trade, and finance as well as from natural resource sectors such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it is essential for the Rio + 20 outcomes to acknowledge that such drivers need to be addressed through strong cross-sectoral commitment in each country and region, ensuring that all relevant major decisions, for example on infrastructure development, are taken in a manner that takes the conservation status of species into account, and ensures that measures are taken to ensure that such species are not driven towards extinction. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (The IUCN Red List) is the world s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plant, fungi and animal species. It is based on an objective system for assessing the risk of extinction of a species. The version of the IUCN Red List includes data for 61,914 species. Evidence from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species indicates that, due to human impacts, the current rate of extinction is at least 1,000 times higher than the natural rate. It is the IUCN Red List and the many national and regional Red Lists which have been developed across the globe, which provide information on the status of known threatened species. Conservation action to improve the status of species most in decline can be tackled through safeguarding of sites of importance for biodiversity, and integrated programmes that address the threats and drivers, and the measures needed to combat their impacts. Multi-stakeholder plans for the recovery of threatened species need to be developed including innovative approaches to preventing extinctions that provide benefits to local communities and build support for conservation, through sustainable use where relevant and appropriate. All programmes involving the harvesting of wild species, including in the fisheries and forestry sector need to be managed so that the harvest levels are sustainable, including for non-target species, and where possible generate economic incentives for conservation. Indicators are vital in tracking progress towards achieving the Aichi targets. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species database includes information which can be used to measure 13 of the 20 Aichi targets. In particular, The IUCN Red List Index (RLI) is an indicator used to assess overall changes in the extinction risk of species over time resulting from genuine improvements or deteriorations in the status of individual species. It can be calculated for any representative set of species that have been assessed for the IUCN Red List at least twice. Target 13: By 2020, the genetic diversity of cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and of wild relatives, including other socio-economically as well as culturally valuable species, is maintained, and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is the basis of world food security. The availability of adequate and safe supplies of food is a one of the biggest challenges facing humankind. In the context of this target, genetic diversity refers to the genetic material contained in traditional varieties, modern cultivars and breeds grown and maintained by farmers and livestock keepers, as well as their wild relatives and other wild plant and animal species that can be used as food, and as feed for domestic animals, or as medicines, fibre, clothing, shelter, wood, timber and energy, and are of 9

10 cultural value to humans. About 7.4 million cultivated plants accessions are conserved in over 1750 gene banks around the world (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), and 8054 animal breeds. It is estimated that more than 70% of the genetic diversity of crops is already conserved in ex situ collections, (as old varieties or landraces), but little information is available on ex situ holdings of crop wild relatives and no information on the extent of diversity in situ/on farm. FAO reports that 21% of the global total of animal breeds is at risk. In addition, 8 percent of the world s breeds are already extinct and 35 percent are of unknown risk status (lack of data is particularly a problem in developing countries). Aquaculture and domesticated aquatic organisms are also important resources for food security. Capture fisheries harvest thousands of wild, undomesticated species from the world s oceans, seas, coastal areas and wetlands. It is the largest sector that still relies on hunting and trapping wild species. However, the genetic diversity of most aquatic organisms is still largely undocumented and often poorly managed. FAO is currently preparing a first State of the World's Aquatic Genetic Resources Report that should help to address these issues. At present, much of the meat that is consumed is derived from a very small number of species: indeed 13 species comprise the ancestors of the majority of the world s livestock and are dominated by the big five : cattle, goat, pig, poultry and sheep. The status of rare and local breeds of these livestock that have been bred to cope with specific environments so that they can yield meat and eggs (and other products) under extreme conditions (high altitudes, extreme cold, arid climates and nomadic lifestyles) is an extremely important consideration for food security. All of these conditions require different attributes which means that there are genetic adaptations that we, as a global community, cannot afford to lose. The importance of rare breeds and village animals is obvious in safeguarding human food production. However the value of their wild relatives and domesticated varieties has been overlooked; although it is no less important. As food production becomes increasingly high-tech and demand for food increases, we cannot afford to lose genetic variation that may contribute to achieving food security in the future. The global conservation status of wild species, monitored through the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows that a greater proportion of wild relatives of the major mammal livestock species are at risk of extinction when compared with mammals overall. More wild relatives of the chicken are also at risk than bird species overall. For future food security there is a need to assess the threat to genetic diversity and ensure that conserved diversity is readily available for sustainable exploitation to benefit humankind. Measures for monitoring trends in genetic diversity should help indicate the extent of genetic erosion. Indigenous knowledge of local communities should also be considered as an indicator of diversity of many socio-economically and culturally important plants and animal species. Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services Target 14: By 2020, ecosystems that provide essential services, including services related to water, and contribute to health, livelihoods and well-being, are restored and safeguarded, taking into account the needs of women, indigenous and local communities, and the poor and vulnerable. 10

11 We reaffirm our determination to free humanity from hunger and want through the eradication of all forms of poverty and strive for societies which are just, equitable and inclusive.., states the Zero Draft for Rio+20. The geography of poverty and vulnerability largely overlaps with places and ecosystems inhabited by indigenous peoples and rural communities. Indigenous peoples, who comprise about 5% of the total population of the world, represent around 15% of the world s poor. The majority of the poor live in rural areas, where they depend on ecosystems and the services they provide for their daily subsistence. Rural poverty can be exacerbated by the lost and degradation of ecosystems as well as distributional inequities in the access to the benefits of ecosystems. Aichi Target 14 encourages investment in the restoration of ecosystems and enhancement of natural capital that can be directly channeled towards the eradication of hunger and poverty. The Rio+20 outcomes must therefore recognize the value of, and help reinforce the opportunity that Aichi Target 14 represents. Global efforts designed to achieve food security and the full realization of the right to food, for example the sustainable intensification in agricultural systems and stabilization of market prices can be considerably enhanced by actions envisioned under Aichi target 14. Indeed, implementation of the target can help drive fundamental changes in the way that ecosystems and biodiversity are viewed by decisionmakers as a cornerstone of a truly green economy geared towards the eradication of hunger. Target 15: By 2020, ecosystem resilience and the contribution of biodiversity to carbon stocks has been enhanced, through conservation and restoration, including restoration of at least 15 per cent of degraded ecosystems, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and to combating desertification. The conservation, restoration and sustainable management of forests, peatlands, freshwater and coastal wetlands and other ecosystems are proven, cost-effective and safe means to sequester carbon dioxide and prevent the loss of other greenhouse gases. Deforestation, wetland drainage and other habitat change lead to the emission of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases. In the process, biodiversity is reduced, greenhouse gases are released and the livelihoods of millions of people, including indigenous peoples and local communities, are threatened. However, in many countries, degraded landscapes represent immense opportunity for both biodiversity restoration and carbon sequestration. An analysis carried out by IUCN, WRI and South Dakota State University on behalf of the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration has estimated that there are approximately 2 billion hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes that could benefit from some form of restoration intervention. Restored landscapes and seascapes can improve resilience including the adaptive capacity of ecosystems and societies, and can contribute to climate change adaptation. IUCN has estimated the value of forests and the benefits they provide to approximately 1.6 billion of the rural poor to be US$ 130 billion per year. This is almost the same amount of money that goes into Official Development Assistance (ODA). Forest landscape restoration can support livelihoods, contribute to poverty eradication, and increase food security, targeting the poorest and most vulnerable groups, particularly women and children. Restoration also delivers significant benefits in the forms of biodiversity conservation, increasing access to clean water, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and 11

12 combating desertification. Economically, IUCN estimates that the restoration of 150 million hectares of degraded forest lands would create approximately $ 84 billion per year in direct net benefits. A global effort to restore 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020 was launched as the Bonn Challenge last year as a direct contribution to the Aichi targets. Many countries, notably, Rwanda, have made national commitments to restoration; further national restoration commitments need to be made at Rio+20 for the benefit of communities everywhere. IUCN s analysis shows that along with annually providing billions of dollars in direct, additional income to forest dependent communities, restoring 150 million hectares would also contribute significantly to absorbing excess carbon dioxide emissions, closing the emissions reduction gap by between 11% - 17%. Target 16: By 2015, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization is in force and operational, consistent with national legislation. This legally binding agreement will bring about the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (Access and Benefit Sharing). Helping to ensure benefit-sharing between those who provide genetic resources and those that use them (based on prior informed consent and in a mutually agreed way), the protocol promotes equity and fairness and incentivises conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources and biodiversity in general. Sharing power, responsibility and benefits in natural resource management, as well as strengthening governance arrangements, including legal entitlements, to make decisions more transparent, inclusive and equitable, is good for people, for biodiversity and for sustainable development. In other words, the clearer the rules and environmental governance mechanisms are, in particular at the national level, the more effective the institutional framework for sustainable development is. Ensuring that all relevant stakeholders (including indigenous and local communities) are engaged is of key importance, and raising awareness of this complex issue is critical. The Nagoya Protocol will contribute directly to development and human well-being, and provide a concrete instrument for greening the world s economy in specific sectors. Users of genetic resources and/or traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources, operate in a wide range of sectors, including the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, seed, crop protection, horticulture, cosmetic and personal care, fragrance and flavour, botanicals, and food and beverage industries. Providing these users with access to genetic resources and sharing the benefits of such utilization fairly and equitably has the potential to be beneficial for social and economic development. It is a means of defining the socio-economic value of biodiversity and its ecosystem services in practice and an economic tool to take proper account of this value. Strategic Goal E. Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building Target 17: By 2015 each Party has developed, adopted as a policy instrument, and has commenced implementing an effective, participatory and updated national biodiversity strategy and action plan. 12

13 National biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) set the basis for the implementation of the Aichi targets, at the national level. As a policy instrument they will be the key to effective mainstreaming across all government departments, economic sectors and society as a whole. They should be developed through a participatory approach and ensure that all three objectives of the Biodiversity Convention are fully addressed, providing an effective and up-to-date framework for conservation action at national level, and also contributing to the Strategic Plan as a whole. It is important to understand that despite their importance, policy tools alone will not be sufficient to achieve action on the ground. In this context, there is a need to empower local and national governance systems, to strengthen bottom up decisions on sustainable development, as an indispensible part of the hierarchy of governance. Governments must therefore empower local governance structures through NBSAPs to ensure meaningful involvement in decision-making processes of a wide range of interested parties and stakeholders including indigenous and local communities. A widely consulted and socialized NBSAP supports effective national level environmental governance and provides a fundamental underpinning of the institutional framework for sustainable development. It is clear that the transition to a green economy needs to be built on a stronger appreciation of the role of healthy ecosystems in supporting local livelihoods as well as providing investment opportunities for business. But a green economy needs also to be based on the right policy frameworks and national and local ownership is fundamental. If NBSAPs are developed using a participatory approach and are linked to other relevant national policy instruments - like national poverty reduction strategies, development, investment and planning frameworks - they can contribute to the foundations of a green economy, as a vehicle for sustainable development. Target 18: By 2020, the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and their customary use of biological resources, are respected, subject to national legislation and relevant international obligations, and fully integrated and reflected in the implementation of the Convention with the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities, at all relevant levels. Indigenous peoples and rural communities make fundamental contributions to the economy, and to conservation, based on their traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, and their customary use of biological resources. However, these contributions are often unrecognized and unsupported, and are frequently undermined by unsound economic activities imposed by market forces, consumption models and interventions led by governments and businesses. Yet, indigenous peoples and poor rural communities generally have low-carbon and diverse economies, practise stewardship of the land, and maintain and nurture biological diversity features of a truly green economy. The call to action represented by target 18, to respect and fully integrate the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities, as well as their customary use of biological resources, is therefore key to ensure that large, biodiversity-rich areas of the planet remain under the custodianship of communities who already implement key principles of a green economy. Its achievement calls for institutional frameworks that are able to recognize and support traditional, customary governance of ecosystems, as well as self-determined development and natural resource 13

14 management with a strong focus on devolution of resource management rights and responsibilities as a means to strengthen local governance. New development approaches should avoid the impacts of economic activities on the land and waters of indigenous and traditional peoples. Rather, such approaches should be predicated on innovation, capacity development, sustainable use of wild species and ecosystems, benefits from compensation for products and environmental services, and greater support to restoration of degraded ecosystems and to adaptation of communities to climate change. All these are essential requirements for maintaining and enhancing rural economies, and for ensuring sustainable management of natural resources, which in turn are the basis for the maintenance of the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples and rural communities. It is essential that the Rio outcomes recognize and support the contributions that diverse, ecosystem-based local economies of indigenous and rural peoples and communities make to the global economy. Concrete measures to avoid and mitigate the negative effects of the current economic model on such economies need to be identified. Institutional frameworks for sustainable development that strengthen subsidiarity, decentralization, customary governance and self-determined development for indigenous peoples and rural communities need to be supported, and accountability of development decision-making in relation to its impacts and implications for the ecosystems that indigenous peoples and rural communities depend on needs to be significantly strengthened. Target 19: By 2020, knowledge, the science base and technologies relating to biodiversity, its values, functioning, status and trends, and the consequences of its loss, are improved, widely shared and transferred, and applied. Considerable effort is needed to improve biodiversity-related knowledge and clarify the relationship between biodiversity change, ecosystems services and human well being. Knowledge of biodiversity needs to infuse science, policy and practical knowledge. Biodiversity and environmental education needs to be integrated into formal and non-formal education and tailored to national and local needs. All knowledge should be regarded as being multi-faceted, i.e. traditional, indigenous, scientific, and local. Different knowledge streams should be considered in policy making, analysis and monitoring, and different knowledge holders should all be regarded as stakeholders. Investment in the knowledge sector, particularly in training and equipping people with skills to engage in green jobs could improve economic and environmental conditions. Institutions with knowledge of biodiversity and ecosystem services need to work to make knowledge available in a format most understandable and therefore useful to knowledge users. This would help citizens understand biodiversity and thereby empower them to take action to conserve it. The operations of the newly established Intergovernmental Platform for the Science Policy Interface on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES) can greatly inform the optimal governance arrangements for development which is truly sustainable. Target 20: By 2020, at the latest, the mobilization of financial resources for effectively implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity from all sources, and in accordance with the consolidated and agreed process in the Strategy for Resource Mobilization should increase substantially from the current levels. This target will be 14