Posted on 27 October
2010
Nagoya, Japan – As Ministers
from around the world arrive for the final
three days of the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) conference, WWF urges governments
to overcome their differences on how to
share the benefits of genetic resources
and deliver a robust plan to stem the loss
of biodiversity up to 2020.
The conference risks
becoming bogged down in acrimony between
developed and developing nations over the
Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Protocol,
with many nations insisting there would
be no new biodiversity plan unless there’s
additional funding to implement it and agreement
on the ABS Protocol.
“Unless countries can
agree on a way forward on ABS, a plan for
protecting the world’s natural assets is
in jeopardy.” said WWF International Director
General Jim Leape. “Governments have a unique
opportunity this week to deliver a plan
of action for the next decade to protect
our planet’s nature. With biodiversity in
steep decline they can’t afford to fail.”
“We see a few ministers
trying to bridge their differences on ABS.
We urge other countries to join that effort,
set aside their differences and define what
they can agree on.”
An injection of new
money to deliver on an ambitious set of
targets to halt biodiversity loss by 2020
is also fundamental to a successful outcome
of the biodiversity summit.
“We look to Japan, as
host country, to help mobilise money from
other governments.” added Leape. “Without
additional funding, the biodiversity plan
risks staying on paper and not delivering
action on the ground.”
There has been some
positive progress on the negotiation of
a number of targets under the new biodiversity
plan. Agreement is now looking likely on
the inclusion, for the first time, of a
target requiring governments to include
national capital accounting in their national
budget, as well as consensus on a target
to stop the overexploitation of fish stocks.
WWF is calling for a
20 per cent protected areas target for land,
marine and coastal areas. While the terrestrial
target is looking hopeful with a range between
15 and 25 per cent currently on the table,
the target on marine and coastal areas is
still being hotly debated, with figures
from just six to15 per cent under discussion.
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Make or break time for
Ministers at Biodiversity summit
Posted on 28 October
2010
It’s make or break time as Environment Ministers
face final decisions in intense negotiations
at the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) conference. While wide differences
need to be bridged there is positive progress
towards a new biodiversity plan.
“Countries have made some great strides
on the biodiversity plan. We’re encouraged
by support for a target of 20 per cent for
terrestrial protected areas, and consensus
on a target to stop the overexploitation
of fish stocks.” said Jim Leape, WWF International
Director General
Agreement is also now
looking likely on the inclusion, for the
first time, of a target requiring governments
to include national capital accounting in
their national budget. But a strong target
for marine protected areas is in trouble
if efforts to pursue a target of only six
percent for our oceans gets through.
“We need a breakthrough
on ocean protection this week. Given the
oceans cover more than 70 per cent of our
planet, we should be ambitious about getting
20 percent of it under protection. The ambitions
to protect 20 percent of land areas should
be matched in the oceans.” added Leape.
The government of Japan
has announced aid worth two billion US dollars
over the next three years part of which
will be geared toward developing countries
for implementation of the new biodiversity
plan. WWF is looking to all donor countries
to put additional funds on the table to
put the new plan into action.
“New money is clearly
important. Delivering an ambitious biodiversity
plan will require new money. There are some
resources now available and we need a pathway
agreed to mobilize the requisite additional
resources.” added Leape.
While the negotiation
on the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)
Protocol has threatened to scupper countries’
efforts to deliver a new biodiversity plan,
there are positive signs that they will
reach an agreement this week.
The legal Protocol would
detail how countries with important genetic
resources in their biodiversity, particular
developing countries, will benefit from
any commercial development of these assets.
“An ABS agreement is
long overdue so it is important for countries
to crack this difficult nut this week. They’ve
never had a better opportunity to crack
it.” added Leape.
