And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 00:23:53 -0800 (PST)
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>From: Department of Zoology <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Results of GBF11 (Buenos Aires, 6-8 Nov 1998)
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 17:11:52 -0500
>From: Stas Burgiel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: BIODIV-CONV List-Server <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Results of GBF11 (Buenos Aires, 6-8 Nov 1998)
>
>GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FORUM - 11
>
>STATEMENT TO
>UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
>FOURTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES
>
>11 NOVEMBER 1998
>BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
>
>FERNANDO ARDURA
>IUCN NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR ARGENTINA
>
>
>I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF IUCN-The World Conservation Union as
>coordinator of the IUCN National Committee of Argentina. It is an honor
>to have with us in this session the presence of our President, Minister
>of Environment of Ecuador, Yolanda Kakabadse, and three councillors:
>Juan Mayr, Minister of Environment of Colombia, Akiko Domoto,
>Parliamentarian in the Japanese Diet, and our Head of Delegation, Alicia
>Barcena, Chief Advisor to UNDP. It is my pleasure to address you today
>to report on the Global Biodiversity Forum. The Global Biodiversity
>Forum, or GBF, provides an independent and strategic arena for all
>stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, the private sector, local and
>indigenous communities to discuss and debate important ecological,
>economic, and social issues relevant to the conservation and sustainable
>use of biodiversity.
>
>Over this last weekend, a number of institutions, including UNEP, the
>World Resources Institute, African Centre for Technology Studies,
>Climate Action Network-Latin America, UNITAR, the Biodiversity Action
>Network, the Indigenous People's Biodiversity Network, and IUCN hosted
>the eleventh session of the Global Biodiversity Forum. This was the
>second session devoted to exploring the linkages between the UNFCCC and
>the Convention on Biological Diversity, the first one being held last
>year in Kyoto at the time of the negotiations of the Kyoto Protocol.
>
>As is recognised in Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention
>on climate Change, Parties are called upon to address the problem of
>climate change in a manner which ensures that ecosystems and societies
>are not threatened. Further, Article 4.l(d) of the Convention commits
>Parties to promoting the sustainable management, conservation, and
>enhancement of sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases. It is these
>same sinks and reservoirs, such as forests and oceans that serve as a
>harbour for much of the world's biodiversity.
>
>In this session of the GBF, 150 participants from 40 countries addressed
>four critical issues of concern to the biodiversity community with
>respect to the climate change agenda: National Strategies, Sustainable
>Use, Finance, and Forests.
>
>The participants took note of the growing number of multilateral
>environmental agreements - the UNFCCC, the convention on biological
>Diversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Ramsar
>convention, and the World Heritage Convention to name just a few. It
>was observed that this proliferation of agreements has lead to a more
>and more fragmented international environmental regime. The planning
>and implementing capacity of many countries has become stressed. It was
>recommended that the international environmental regime be viewed I more
>holistic manner, and that on the national level countries should
>endeavour to do more to coordinate and build synergy in their efforts to
>implement these agreements, including exploring measures, such as
>watershed conservation which simultaneously mitigate climate change and
>prevent the loss of biodiversity. It was also stressed that the
>increasing number of agreements has created the risk that efforts to
>implement one agreement may contradict the objectives of another, such
>as replacing native forested ecosystems with plantations in order to
>sequester carbon.
>
>The workshop on Sustainable Use presented evidence that recent extreme
>events, such as the floods in Bangladesh and ch8ina and coral bleaching
>in the Indian ocean and Caribbean, have led to a lost of biodiversity,
>and may be a signal of climate change. It was pointed out that
>resource-poor communities and communities heavily dependent on natural
>resources face tough choices in adapting to a climate changed world. We
>need to enhance the role of local communities, especially in promoting
>the active participation of groups such as indigenous communities and
>women. The full participation of all stakeholders in the design of
>strategies and actions is the key to successfully adapting to climate
>change.
>
>The role of finance and economic incentives in promoting the
>co-ordination of climate change and biodiversity issues was also
>discussed. It was recognised that the Global Environment Facility has
>an important and clearly defined role to play in financing the
>implementation of the UNFCCC and the Convention on Biological
>Diversity. It was also noted that the GEF may be in a unique position
>to further the debate on how to implement the two conventions in a
>mutually supportive manner. The private sector has indicated a
>willingness to participate in the implementation of the goals of the
>UNFCCC and the CBD, but clear rules of the game are needed to provide
>sufficient encouragement for broad private sector involvement.
>
>In the discussion on forests, the participants recognised that the
>destruction and conversion of forests and other natural ecosystems
>world-wide is a significant contributor to the loss of biodiversity and
>also a part of the problem of climate change. Forest-based measures
>intended to mitigate climate change could provide significant
>biodiversity and socio-economic benefits. However, this outcome is not
>assured. Done incorrectly, the forest-based measures to address climate
>change through the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, could result in
>negative impacts on forests and other natural ecosystems, communities
>and the climate system. It is essential that the implementation of the
>mechanisms of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol produce benefits to
>biodiversity conservation.
>
>Finally, the participants to the 11th session of the GBF stressed the
>need for further efforts to raise the profile of biodiversity concerns
>within the climate change agenda. In particular, participants
>recommended that protecting the ecological integrity of nature and
>sustaining the societies which are supported by it is vital to
>addressing the climate change issue.
>
>IUCN-The World Conservation Union, is one of the world's oldest
>international conservation organisations. It was established in 1948,
>and last week we celebrated our 50th anniversary in our birthplace,
>Fontainebleau, France. As a conservation organisation, IUCN is unique
>in that it is a union of other organisations. It brings together 74
>governments, including many in this room, 105 government agencies and
>more than 700 non-governmental organisations, drawn from 138 countries.
>Altogether the members of IUCN make up a global network of 900
>institutions and some 8,000 scientists and experts in six commissions
>from 139 countries. Our mission is to influence, encourage and assist
>societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity
>of nature, and ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and
>ecologically sustainable.
>
>Our work has indicated that addressing the problem of climate change is
>directly related to this mission. Progress since the 1992 Rio Earth
>Summit has been good but slow. The global climate is still very much
>threatened and we continue to see a net loss in quality of life and
>environmental degradation in many parts of the world.
>
>Pollution and unsustainable management practices already threaten the
>life support systems upon which humanity depends. Climate change is an
>important additional stress. In the face of climate change, the loss of
>species and ecosystems will likely accelerate. Many species will be
>made more vulnerable to extinction, and important ecosystems, such as
>wetlands and coral reefs, could be eliminated in some places.
>Communities that are currently struggling to improve their livelihoods
>will be made even more vulnerable by climate change. Measures to
>protect the species, ecosystems and the goods and services they provide
>to society may be rendered ineffective by climate change.
>
>Future generations will judge us on our timidity in the global struggles
>to combat climate change, to avoid biodiversity loss, and to halt
>desertification. Without a much stronger commitment to solving these
>global problems, we will bequeath to our children and grandchildren an
>irretrievably impoverished world. Such a fate can be avoided, but it
>requires a strong international commitment and concerned action.
>
>Madam President, Honourable delegates, we look forward to working with
>Conference of the parties in the coming years and appreciate the
>opportunity to make this statement. Thank you.
>
><<>>
>
>Sustainable Use and Climate Change
>Global Biodiversity Forum-11, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 6-8 November 1998
>
>The workshop on sustainable use and climate change was presented with
>clear examples of current impacts of climatic change on specific
>ecosystems, regions and communities. Evidence was shown that recent
>extreme events, such as the floods in Bangladesh, have lead to a loss of
>biodiversity, and may be a signal of climate change. Next, examples of
>adaptation initiatives and projects with both climate and biodiversity
>objectives were presented.
>
>Current difficulties
>
>There still are gaps in the data available, in particular in developing
>countries. In other cases through, knowledge and awareness is
>insufficiently translated into policies and action. Certain actions
>need to be taken now and resources need to be allocated for those.
>There is a real risk of international conflicts over natural resources,
>such as water, environmental refugees, and food insecurity.
>Resource-poor communities and communities heavily dependent on natural
>resources face tough choices in adapting to a climate changed world.
>Compensation for countries heavily impacted by climatic change was
>called for by several participants. Also, there is a need for the
>further development of alternative energy sources.
>
>What do we need?
>
>1. Research needs to be firmly embedded in a policy development
>process. Successful examples were presented of integrated research as
>part of the awareness raising process in community-driven adaptation
>projects.
>
>2. The role of financial and legal instruments in facilitating
>adaptation needs to be further explored. The compartmentalization of
>government policy and legal frameworks was seen to inhibit effective
>action. The integration of issues by the development of a common
>framework with a clear objective is considered imperative.
>
>3. We need to enhance the role of local communities, especially
>promoting active participation by groups such as indigenous communities
>and women. In general, full participation of all stakeholders in both
>design and execution of projects is key to their success. Strategies
>devised to cope with climatic change need to be carefully crafted to fit
>local conditions. Successful strategies, while available to some, may
>not work for others. The equitable sharing of benefits with local
>communities is essential.
>
>4. Still, more dialogues and workshops with the aim to educate the
>public, provide training, and disseminate information are required.
>
>5. Despite the complexity and risks involved, the group shared the
>opinion that putting economic value on biodiversity goods and services
>was necessary in order for that value to be recognized by policy makers.
>
>6. Governments can recognize multiple values in their national
>communications and reports to the Climate and biodiversity conventions
>and by cross-referencing biodiversity and climate initiatives in
>national Action Plans.
>
>Possible solutions
>
>A call for a change in attitude and the creative development of plans
>was made. In particular, legal instruments are needed that coordinate
>policies designed to build an environmentally and socially sustainable
>future.
>
>Projects with multiple objectives as in the case of climate
>mitigation/biodiversity conversation projects face challenges beyond
>those of single sector projects. However, such projects present us with
>win-win situations that need to be embraced.
>
>
>Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Finance
>Global Biodiversity Forum 11, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 6-8 November 1998
>
>Summary Recommendations:
>
>The meeting was attended by 22 experts, representing multilateral
>organisations, NGOs, private sector utilities, financial services,
>academic and research institutions. Discussions covered three general
>areas:
>* Energy Sector and Conservation Linkages
>* The Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): Issues and
>Problems
>* Potential Private Sector Impact on Biodiversity and Climate Change
>Initiatives
>
> 1. Energy and Conservation Linkages: Discussion centered on refining
>the linkage between climate change and biodiversity in regards to
>institutional, financial, economic and legal issues. It was agreed that
>the most critical linkages to ensure coordination and synergy between
>the biodiversity and climate change agendas were the provision of
>appropriate legal frameworks, institutional capacity, and economic
>incentives. Moreover, the adequacy of the Kyoto Protocol's current
>emission reduction targets was debated. Specifically, doubts were
>raised about the ability of the Kyoto Protocol's flexible mechanisms to
>generate sufficient funds to ensure government compliance and technology
>transfer. Two alternative modalities were presented to meet these
>concerns:
>
>* An international currency transactions tax of .25% might be levied in
>order to generate capital of approximately $100-200 billion per year,
>which could be accessed by developing country economies. The funds
>generated would be used for projects measured against an energy
>efficiency standard, renewable energy projects, and stimulation of
>markets. It was suggested that initial research indicated an openness on
>the part of some members of the financial markets sector to such a move.
>Mechanisms for disbursement were left open for further discussion.
>
>* A second suggestion was that consideration be given to equitable
>participation by developing countries by the allocation of entitlements
>within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol. These entitlements would be
>available to all countries according to current per-capita carbon
>utilization, with the clear objective of convergence and the switch from
>carbon based to environmentally friendly non-carbon based energy
>sectors.
>
>The potential for existing institutional structures to facilitate
>linkages between climate change and biodiversity in policy development
>and financing was presented. It was recognized that the Global
>Environment Facility (GEF), as the interim financial mechanism for both
>the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations
>Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), had a comparative
>advantage in furthering the policy debate on this topic by helping to
>identify: (1) effective governance mechanisms; (2) benefits from current
>projects: and (3) lessons for future financing.
>
>2. CDM Issues: Several presentations addressed the CDM, the instrument
>for developed and developing country cooperation under the UNFCCC's
>Kyoto Protocol. Many talks illustrated the weakness of the CDM with
>respect to equity, technology transfers and biodiversity conservation,
>with particular relevance to developing countries. The potential for
>certain developing countries to be marginalised in the CDM, and hence in
>the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, was pointed out. In general,
>it was felt that the CDM could be used by developed countries as a way
>of avoiding the responsibility of cutting emissions at home. It was
>suggested that the two modalities presented above may represent ways of
>dealing with this problem.
>
>3. Implications for the Private Sector: First, the private sector's
>role in implementing the Kyoto Protocol was recognized. Presentations
>by the private sector demonstrated their willingness to participate in
>flexible mechanisms if given the opportunity for early action. However,
>it was suggested that the current incentive system was inadequate to
>provide sufficient encouragement for broad private sector participation,
>and that those that do take early action could be penalized for doing
>so.
>
>Second, it was accepted that risk mitigation measures (e.g. insurance)
>might provide a way of increasing financial flows, generate equity and
>provide a mechanism for linking inter-sector policy implementation and
>compliance. The use of risk management tools could help implement the
>objectives of the CBD and UNFCCC, and national sustainable development
>plans. Critical areas that risk management strategies could address
>included political and institutional risk, project performance risk and
>trading risk.
>
>
>Forests in the Climate Change Agenda
>Global Biodiversity Forum-11, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 6-8 November 1998
>
>The participants in this workshop agreed that forest-based measures
>intended to mitigate climate change could provide significant
>biodiversity and socioeconomic co-benefits. However, this outcome is
>not assured. Done incorrectly, forest-based measures under the Kyoto
>Protocol could result in negative impacts on forest ecosystems,
>communities and the climate system. Participants discussed both general
>and specific approaches to address negative impacts and discussed the
>potential of forest measures in both industrialized and developing
>countries to link climate and biodiversity solutions. The following
>points do not reflect a consensus of participants. Rather, they are
>intended to capture the diverse perspectives of the presenters and
>discussants.
>
>General
>
>* Forests are an important part of the problem and potentially an
>important part of the solution to both biodiversity loss and climate
>change.
>
>* Forest-based measures to mitigate climate change should complement
>fossil-fuel based measures to reduce emissions.
>
>* There is a need to improve greenhouse gas inventory methods to measure
>changes in all forest carbon stocks and land use change dynamics.
>
>* Forest-based measures to reduce emissions can promote increases in
>technical capacity to monitor and understand forest ecosystems.
>
>* The IPCC special report on land-use change and forestry should assess
>the biodiversity consequences of forest-based options for mitigating
>climate change under the Kyoto Protocol.
>
> Forests, Biodiversity and the Kyoto Protocol
>
>* Decisions taken by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
>Conference of the Parties regarding the role of land use change and
>forestry should take both climate and biodiversity issues into account.
>
>* Decisions regarding land use change and forestry and their
>implementation should explicitly incorporate traditional knowledge,
>perspectives, and rights of indigenous peoples who live in forest
>regions.
>
>* Parties to the Convention should develop clear guidelines to avoid
>adverse impacts of forest-based measures on biodiversity and the climate
>system.
>
>* In particular, there is a need to avoid measures that replace natural
>forests with plantations, even if doing so produces a net reduction in
>GHG emissions.
>
> Clean Development Mechanism
>
>* The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has the potential to facilitate
>forest-based projects that contribute to climate mitigation,
>biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
>
>* The CDM also has the potential to create incentives for land-use
>change that undermine achievement of these objectives, including the
>replacement of natural forests with plantations.
>
>* Some current forest carbon offset projects can serve as important
>models ito improve methods and build capacity to contribute to
>biodiversity and climate change solutions.
>
>* Plantations as carbon offset projects should be designed to, at
>minimum, avoid negative impacts to biodiversity and support sustainable
>development.
>
>* If a market for forest-based CDM projects develops, specific policies
>and incentives may be necessary to motivate projects that provide
>biodiversity and socio-economic co-benefits.
>
>
>Coordinating National Strategies and Action Plans under the UNFCCC, CBD,
>and UNCCD
>Global Biodiversity Forum 11, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 6-8 November 1998
>
>The participants of this workshop took note of growing number of
>multilateral environmental agreements, including the UN Framework
>Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity,
>the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the Ramsar Convention, and
>the World Heritage Convention - to name just a few. It was observed
>that this proliferation of agreements has lead to a more and more
>fragmented international environmental regime. As a result of this
>fragmentation, the planning and implementing capacity of many countries
>has become stressed. Additional resources are needed to assist
>countries in meeting their formal commitments under these conventions.
>Additional resources are also needed to build and reinforce existing
>capacity at the national level to reconcile these global environmental
>goals with national development priorities.
>
>It is necessary to view the international environmental regime in a
>holistic manner. Otherwise, there is a risk that efforts to implement
>one agreement may contradict the objectives of another.
>
>At the national level, countries should endeavor to do more to
>coordinate and integrate efforts to implement the various National
>Strategies and Action Plans under the Rio Conventions. Inter alia, it
>was recommended that the implementation of all three of the Rio
>Conventions (and all other relevant conventions) would be greatly
>enhanced if the responsibility for implementation and compliance resides
>within the same institution of government. It should also be ensured
>that this institution has strong links of communication to the rest of
>government and society.
>
>The participants of this workshop also recommended that the Conference
>of the Parties of each of the 3 Rio Conventions endeavor to streamline
>and coordinate the agreements. As part of this process, a concerted
>effort should be undertaken to raise the importance of the international
>environmental regime within the international system and to bring it to
>an equal footing with other international regimes, such as the World
>Trade Organization.
>
>The workshop participants stressed the need to identify areas of common
>concern that can be pursued in the action plans under the 3 Rio
>Conventions. For instance, local actions to counter the adverse effects
>of climatic, variability and micro-climate instability is one example
>where climate, desertification, and biodiversity goals can be reached,
>for example, by promoting restoration and/or conservation of forested
>watersheds. Further, the workshop participants invited the Conference of
>the Parties of each of the Rio Conventions, the Convention Secretariats,
>and other stakeholders to promote guidelines and financial resources to
>develop and carry out projects and action plans that implement these
>agreements in a mutually supportive manner.
>
>In addition, it should be recognized that all 3 Rio Conventions have
>individual importance, and it is therefore, equally necessary to
>maintain mechanisms that address the specific dynamics of each
>convention. Finally, as a means to promote synergy among the
>Conventions, effective communication mechanisms should be established
>between the different groups and stakeholders working with the 3 Rio
>Conventions at the national and local level.
>
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