25/10/2010
Attending her first UN Conference on Biodiversity
(COP 10), Brazil's Environment Minister,
Izabella Teixeira, said the great challenge
facing countries
is to make the issues of biodiversity more
visible and effective, taking in not only
economic but also social and development
aspects for nations. She spoke at an event
held on October 25, at which the main points
of the The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
(TTEB) report, dealing with the economic
benefits of biodiversity, were discussed.
"It is important
to reconcile development strategies and
maintenance of biodiversity, taking in such
issues as as sustainable agriculture, food
and energy security, and the usage of natural
resources, such as subsalt," the minister
said.
"This will be the
great challenge of this century. We have
to remember that the basis of all this must
be sustainability. I think TEEB may help
to link all these themes in discussions
of policymakers here," she said.
Ms. Teixeira stressed
the importance of knowing not only the price
but the value of the economy generated by
different environmental services provided
by biodiversity.
The TEEB report refers
to the value of ecosystems and biodiversity
to the economy, society and policy decisions.
To date, six reports were made, the last
one released on October 20, during the COP-10.
The idea is that public policy, private
companies, the production sector, governments
and local and regional decision makers will
make use of the data.
The minister also said
that the TEEB Brazil is being prepared,
and that the requirements for the adoption
of these strategies in Brazil are already
being analyzed. "Now we are preparing
terms of reference for finalizing the deal.
After the commitments are established at
COP 10, we intend to develop a new national
strategy based on TEEB as a reference for
a new sustainable economy," the minister
said.
Leaders and policymakers
of megadiverse countries, of the European
Union and other nations, representatives
of NGOs, institutions and companies attended
the event. Izabella Teixeira will spend
the whole week in Nagoya.
TEEB can be found at www.teebweb.org
+ More
Ministries of the United
Kingdom and Brazil launch publication
A publication highlights
the importance of promoting a debate between
two main agendas
26/10/2010
On 28 October 2010, the UK's Department
for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA) will launch a publication on the
links between the climate change and biodiversity
agendas. Supported by the Brazilian's Ministry
of Environment, Everything is connected:
Climate and Biodiversity in a fragile world
will be launched in Nagoya, Japan, during
a side event organised by the Brazilian
Government during the 10th Conference of
the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity, with the presence of the UK's
Secretary of State for the Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman,
and Brazil's Minister of the Environment,
Izabella Teixeira.
According to the ministers,
healthy ecosystems and a stable climate
are essential to the human well-being and
development. The opening text calls attention
to the fact that urgent issues are at stake,
and that irreversible impacts are foreseen
if there is no effective action geared towards
sustainability.
"Unless we understand
the existing links between climate, biodiversity
and development, it will be very difficult
to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
and to rid the world of hunger, poverty
and diseases. By threatening the natural
systems, we are threatening our own well-being
and prosperity", Spelman and Teixeira
argue in the publication foreword that they
jointly sign.
The publication, which
brings eight original articles written by
specialists, such as Pavan Sukhdev, Special
Advisor of UNEP's Green Economy Initiative,
also defends that we must reassess the way
we use, value and protect natural resources.
For Spelman and Teixeira, creating economically
possible and sustainable solutions will
not be a simple task. However, it is essential
to find them and make them work.
"Recognising the
true value of biodiversity and ecosystem
services and taking into account in our
economic decisions could help to steer governments,
businesses and society towards a greener
global economy", they affirm.
Immediate action, global
problem
Teixeira and Spelman
believe that changes in the way we think
will be a great step towards effective actions.
"Although many of us feel distant from
nature, for the majority of people on Earth,
biodiversity loss is an immediate threat
to their health and livelihoods."
For the Brazilian Minister
of Environment and the UK's Secretary of
State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
a bigger international debate is necessary.
"We firmly believe that by identifying
and acting on the links between climate
and biodiversity we can safeguard our precious
natural capital while adapting to and mitigating
the threat from climate change", they
end the publication's foreword, hoping that
by sharing Brazil's experience in that subject,
they will be contributing to this debate.
For further information, please contact
Fernanda Ros at the British Embassy in Brasilia:
+ 55 61 3329-2394 or + 55 61 3329 2342.
+ More
Countries have the urgent
challenge of reducing emissions, Ms. Teixeira
says
In an speech at COP
10 in Japan, minister argues that countries
should focus on practical actions
26/10/2010
During a ministerial meeting at the 10th
Conference of the Parties on Biological
Diversity (COP 10) held in Nagoya, Japan,
on Tuesday (October 26), Brazil's Environment
minister, Izabella Teixeira, said it is
important for the countries to organize
themselves voluntary to tackle the urgent
challenge of reducing emissions from deforestation
and forest degradation. The statement was
part of the speech delivered by Ms. Teixeira
during the ministerial meeting on REDD+
(Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Degradation).
The Brazilian minister
stressed that the actions of funding for
REED+ should be seen as an example of multilateralism
and collective commitment, able to positively
influence the negotiations at the Conference
on Climate Change (to be held in Cancun
from November 29 to December 10). "This
Partnership gives us the capacity to streamline
the UNFCCC decisions regarding REDD+ as
well as to prepare developing countries
for implementing REDD+ strategies accordingly
to the progress of the UNFCCC negotiations",
she said. "The common efforts of donor
and recipient countries can allow us to
more effectively achieve the REDD+ goals."
According to the minister,
the results can already be identified only
five months after the launch of the REDD+
Partnership. "The data available shows
us that pledges to both multilateral and
bilateral REDD+ initiatives were increased
since May. Countries that were not providing
funds to international cooperation on forests
in the recent years have made new pledges.
Some other countries are increasing their
funds to forest programs are channeling
funds specifically for REDD+", Ms.
Teixeira said.
Practical steps - At
different times of the speech, Izabella
Teixeira highlighted the need to make decisions
and act immediately. "We are here to
deal with the urgency of reducing deforestation
and forest degradation and curbing one of
the most important sources of carbon emissions
in developing countries", she said.
"Brazil believes we should focus on
concrete action rather than on politics.
Our forests need immediate action."
In conclusion, the minister
stressed the importance of respecting people
and the sovereignty of nations. "We
are here to work with donor countries and
stakeholders to ensure that full financial
and technical support for developing countries
to meet their goals will be made available.
We are here to work together on REDD+ strategies
that are environmental consistent and that
do promote benefits to biodiversity while
respecting the rights of indigenous peoples
and local communities. Brazil does believe
we can make it together with transparency,
inclusiveness and respect to countries'
sovereignty."
