On Monday, the Trondheim Biodiversity Conference opened with a performance by Trondheim-based acapella group Apes & Babes. The opening session featured statements by: Bård Vegar Solhjell, Norway’s Minister of the Environment; Rita Ottervik, Mayor of Trondheim; and Jayanthi Natarajan, India’s Minister of Environment and Forests and President of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

During a session on Trondheim+20 perspectives, Bård Vegar Solhjel set the stage for the Conference, noting, among other issues, the need for improved knowledge as key to making better decisions and a step-wise approach to the valuation of natural capital. Professor Abdul H. Zakri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), presented on ecology and human well-being, stressing the need to ensure the Aichi targets are fully taken into account during discussions on the post-2015 development agenda, and to develop a vision going beyond gross domestic product (GDP). Rebeca Grynspan, UN Under-Secretary General and Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), presented on ecology in the post-2015 development agenda and proposed a series of actions in order to mainstream biodiversity concerns into the development agenda.

Árni Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, presented on ecology and economy in food security. He highlighted food production systems’ pervasive impact on the environment, concluding that they are essential components of a transition toward a more sustainable future. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD Executive Secretary, presented on the Strategic Goal A of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 (addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society). Peter Gilruth, Director, Division of Early Warning and Assessment, UNEP, on behalf of UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, presented on the interplay between ecology, economy and society, and recalled successful stories on sustainable development.

The afternoon session was co-chaired by Tone Solhaug, Norway’s Ministry of Environment, and Ivar Baste, Norway’s Directorate for Nature Management.

Simon Upton, Environment Director, OECD, presented on bridging economic and ecologic policies for a sustainable society. He identified four priorities for action: reforming or removing environmentally harmful subsidies; scaling up private sector engagement; improving data, metrics and indicators; and mainstreaming and integrating biodiversity into other policy areas and sectors of the economy. Prasad Menon, Chairman of Tata quality management services, Tata Group, presented on the alignment between public and private sectors for sustainability, including three case studies illustrating the use of education for environmental conservation. Peter Schei, Trondheim Conference founder, presented on the history, challenges and future of the Trondheim Conferences on Biodiversity. Pavan Sukhdev, Founder and CEO, GIST Advisory, discussed alignments of public policies and business strategies across sectors and scales, calling for global collaborative networks.

A panel moderated by Peter Schei then discussed participants’ questions on the day’s presentations.