Biodiversity
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is most often associated with the earth’s vast variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms, but the term encompasses diversity at all levels—from genes to species to ecosystems to landscapes. Scientists estimate there are approximately 8.7 million species globally, of which approximately 2.2 million are marine. In spite of 250 years of research and over 1.2 million species already identified, it is possible 86% of existing species on Earth and 91% of species in the ocean still await description.
In each ecosystem, including those that occur within or among forests, wetlands, mountains, deserts, and rivers, living creatures interact with each other as well as with the air, water, and soil around them, forming an interconnected community. The ecosystem services provided by biodiversity are estimated to be worth trillions of dollars—double the world’s GDP. Biodiversity also includes genetic differences within species, such as different breeds and varieties, as well as chromosomes, genes, and genetic sequences (DNA). Biodiversity also has human benefits. For example, many new medicines are harvested from nature, such as the rosy periwinkle, which provides two very important cancer-fighting medicines.
Events and Articles
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24th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-24)
After a year’s delay due to the pandemic, more than 1,400 representatives of parties and observers met online to advance preparations for the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, scheduled for October 2021 in China. Adoption of final draft decision documents was deferred until the meeting can resume in person.
How to Make Hybrid Meetings Work
All three Rio Conventions announced in-person meetings for the final quarter of 2021. The trio of organizations—UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)—all seem to be going ahead full steam. The UNFCCC Bureau just announced it will hold three weeks of informal talks in June and agreed decision making is an in-person affair, to occur at the next formal meeting. (The day after this article was originally published, the UNCCD announced its COP will take place in 2022. A virtual ExCOP will adopt an interim budget this year.)
12th Meeting of the Monaco Blue Initiative
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Monaco Blue Initiative brought together major players in ocean conservation and governance to explore solutions to challenges facing our Ocean and to promote a sustainable blue economy.
Informal Session for the 3rd Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-3)
To maintain momentum and move towards the successful development of a new framework for global biodiversity governance, the Convention on Biological Diversity convened an informal meeting in preparation for the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation focused on implementation-related matters, with the post-2020 global biodiversity framework taking central stage.
Informal Session for the 24th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-24)
Over the course of six days, the Convention on Biological Diversity held an informal meeting in preparation for the 24th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 24) where participants could comment on the SBSTTA 24 agenda items, however, no negotiations took place.
59th Meeting of the GEF Council
The Council meetings included extensive discussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, deliberating the pandemic’s impact on project management, and considered a white paper by the GEF COVID-19 Task Force outlining how environmental action can reduce future threats of disease outbreak. The GEF Council also endorsed a new private sector engagement strategy, outlining how the GEF will work in a systematic manner with industry groups, companies, and investors to reverse unsustainable global trends and deliver global environmental benefits.
2nd Extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD ExCOP 2)
Parties adopted an interim budget for the Biodiversity Convention, the Cartagena Protocol, and the Nagoya Protocol since the current budget runs out on 31 December 2020 and there is a pressing need to keep the Secretariat operating and enable parties to pay their dues in 2021.
Biodiversity Summit
The Summit focused on the theme “Urgent Action on Biodiversity for Sustainable Development,” to highlight the urgency of action at the highest levels in support of a post-2020 GBF that contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) and places the global community on a path towards realizing the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, “Living in harmony with nature.”
Coverage of Selected Side Events at the UN Summits Week 2020
The 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly opened with a gathering of world leaders from 23-29 September 2020. These leaders and other stakeholders participated in a series of summits, high-level meetings and side events.
Convention on Biological Diversity: Special Virtual Sessions
To maintain momentum ahead of the United Nations Biodiversity Summit on 30 September 2020 and COP 15 in 2021, the CBD convened a series of special virtual sessions. It began with bad news for global biodiversity. The launch of the fifth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, a final report card on progress against the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets adopted in 2010 with a 2020 deadline, starkly announced that none of the targets will be met.