http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/new-vision-needed-to-protect-biodiversity/398726
New Vision Needed to Protect Biodiversity Shailendra Yashwant | September 29, 2010 The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which has been signed and ratified by almost all member states, has played an important role in developing approaches to address the conservation of species around the world. However, implementation has lagged, and the world did not meet the 2010 target for reducing biodiversity loss. Ancient forests are being wiped out, oceans are plundered to the point of no return, agricultural biodiversity is in meltdown from modern industrial farming and the impacts of climate change are causing irreversible damage to our planet and threatening food security for millions of people. Populations of wild vertebrate species fell by an average of nearly one-third globally between 1970 and 2006, according to a UN report issued earlier, with the sharpest loss in the tropics. In the past century, 35 percent of mangroves, 40 percent of forests and 50 percent of wetlands have been lost. The change in the abundance and distribution of species, compounded by climate change, has serious consequences for human societies and is moving ecosystems ever closer to thresholds, or "tipping points," beyond which they will be seriously undermined. Unless strong action is taken, many ecosystems will no longer be able to sustain life and provide for the needs of present and future generations. It is clear that there is no more time for empty words. Lack of adequate funding and prioritization of biodiversity in national budgets has been seen as a key factor in failing to achieve the biodiversity goals. There is a lack of understanding of the huge economic returns that are to be had in investing in biodiversity protection. The cost of not acting now far outweighs the costs of acting. Therefore, a much better understanding and quantitative measurement of the value of biodiversity and ecosystem values and services are necessary to ensure that sound policy decisions are made. The main argument used again and again, especially in these times of economic crisis, is simply: Where will the money come from to fund conservation? There are sufficient sources of money, but it's a matter of redirecting these sources toward sustainable activities, as well as mobilizing them from other sources. It is clear that any gap in funding will not be met by public money alone. There is a need to develop innovative finance mechanisms from both public and private sources, such as environmental fiscal reform, biodiversity in international development finance and climate change funding. Reforming accounting systems to properly reflect the environmental costs and benefits of human activities - in particular reflecting the costs of natural capital losses - will be a key factor in greening the economy. A clear starting point will also be to reallocate perverse subsidies into conservation. Approximately $1 trillion of public money is spent by governments every year on subsidies harmful to the environment and biodiversity, including in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors. It is estimated that $45 billion is needed annually to protect 15 percent of the world's terrestrial ecosystems and 30 percent of its marine ecosystems. However, while subsidies are one type of negative policy incentives, they are not the only economic policy tools that favor unsustainable production methods over sustainable ones. Funding for research should be directed away from inherently unsustainable practices and toward sustainable practices. Funding for agricultural research should be used instead on sustainable methods, not for genetic engineering and chemical-intensive agriculture. The direction taken on agricultural research now will shape the agriculture we will have in 20 years. On a global level, it will be important to close the financing gap and to mobilize new and additional resources also from the private sector. We need to focus our attention more on greening our economy, not only making it a low-carbon economy through minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, but also through ensuring that it is much more resource-efficient. We must make the best and most-sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems and make sure that economic growth does not come at the expense of natural capital. This will not only benefit biodiversity and ourselves; in the longer term, it will prove to be a lucrative and sustainable economic investment. It is therefore important that governments convening at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity from Oct. 18-29 in Nagoya, Japan, adopt a new strategic plan for 2011-2020, including a 2020 target and a 2050 biodiversity vision. It is critical that governments ensure that by 2020, at the latest, the values of biodiversity are integrated into national accounts, national and local development and poverty reduction strategies and planning processes. Governments need to agree to a strong strategic plan and target the drivers of biodiversity loss, particularly those sectors that have the biggest impact on habitats and species: forestry, fisheries and agriculture. For countries like Indonesia, it is important that recommendations on the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) scheme include basic principles and safeguards, such as the recognition of indigenous peoples' rights and the protection of primary forests. Preventing degradation and fragmentation of forests, especially intact forest landscapes, is vital in setting the world on the path of green development. Shailendra Yashwant is campaign director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia and can be contacted at [email protected]. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! 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