L-R: Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Cristiana Paşca Palmer; Catalina Santamaria, CBD Secretariat; and Cai Lijie, CBD at the 3th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 13)
Delegates to the science body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) closed their meeting this week, sending a number of recommendations to the next UN Biodiversity Conference that set the stage for achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and preparation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
“Parties to the Convention have shown, in their recommendations agreed this week, that the possible futures before us include paths that will protect biodiversity and build a future of life in harmony with nature,” said Dr. Cristiana Paşca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. “But achieving this will require that we mobilise the best available scientific evidence to best expoit the possibilities presented by transformational change.”
The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) provides scientific, technical and technological advice to the Conference of the Parties (COP). Recommendations from this meeting will be considered by Parties at the next UN Biodiversity Conference, set to take place 10 – 22 November 2018 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
SBSTTA noted that the continued loss of biodiversity has major negative consequences for human well-being. However, scenarios demonstrate a wide range of plausible futures, providing space for developing policy measures to achieve the 2050 Vision of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and other global goals.
Achieving the Vision requires transformational change, including changes in behaviour at the levels of producers and consumers, Governments and businesses. SBSTTA noted that societal and disruptive technological developments may help or hinder sustainability. Delegates noted that scenarios can help societies decide on their preferred approach towards the 2050 Vision.
The body also highlighted the need for a coherent approach on biodiversity and climate change to ensure that impacts on biodiversity of climate change are reduced, that biodiversity and ecosystems can contribute solutions related to climate adaptation and mitigation, and that climate change adaptation and mitigation measures do not negatively impact biodiversity.
It noted that wild meat is an important source of nutrition for millions of people in many regions of the world, but this is threatened by unsustainable exploitation of the resource, driven by growing human populations and the emergence of a booming commercial wild meat trade.
SBSTTA developed guidance that provides advice for promoting the sustainability of supply at the source, managing the demand along the entire value chain, and creating the enabling conditions for legal, sustainable management of terrestrial wild meat in tropical and subtropical habitats.
