Mexico

On Wednesday, participants to the Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity heard presentations focusing on “achieving change.” In the afternoon, small groups met to discuss a series of topics selected by the participants. In the evening, a reception hosted by the Norwegian Environment Agency took place at the Sverresborg Folk Museum. Peter White, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, presented perspectives from the private sector. Sol Ortiz García, Mexico, showcased biodiversity mainstreaming as a key strategy for achieving change. Bob Scholes, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, presented on the findings of the IPBES Thematic Assessment on land degradation and restoration. Bernardo Strassburg, International Institute for Sustainability, Brazil, outlined a strategic approach to restoration planning in Brazil. Drawing on examples from multilateral processes, Aleksandar Rankovic, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), France, noted that the post-2020 framework should focus on creating the best possible conditions for domestic implementation. A panel discussion then addressed interlinkages among different sectors and the value of taking a “nexus” approach. Luc Bas, IUCN, urged for more investment in nature-based solutions, also as part of the climate change debate. Vera Agostini, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), presented on fisheries' sustainability. María Rivera, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, called for an integrated approach, which entails: linking biodiversity to water; including wetlands under nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; and increasing cooperation among different focal points. Suneetha Subramanian, United Nations University International Institute for Global Health, called for linking social considerations to the biophysical environment through a set of institutions, and for making the connection between health and biodiversity. In the afternoon, participants heard from Anne Nuorgam, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, on perspectives and insights from indigenous peoples on the post-2020 framework; and from Keping Ma, Chinese Academy of Sciences, on China's ecological conservation redlining policy. Participants then met in small groups to share their own experiences with a focus on good practices, aiming to identify which changes need to happen and how, on the basis of successes and failures in the implementation of the Aichi targets. Several small groups discussed topics including: voluntary commitments; ecological connectivity; biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction; spatial targets; participatory approaches in species conservation; implementation of Aichi Target 18 on traditional knowledge; and experience with the voluntary peer-review under the Convention on Biological Diversity.