The Message from Nagoya, CBD COP10 Martin Brasher, Defra

The Meeting Strange way of doing business (a)193 countries, 15,000 (?) people. (b)Consensus. Lowest Common Denominator? (c)Two weeks, Ministers for final three days. (d)Officials try to sort as much out as possible before Ministers arrive. Up to seven major meetings in parallel. Up to 18 hours a day. More for ABS. (e) Crazy last couple of days. Finished at 03:35 on Saturday morning. (f)Survival of fittest. But did produce a result.

What COP10 agreed 3 main elements to the Nagoya package agreed in line with UK objectives 1.A new CBD Strategic Plan 2.A resource mobilisation package to support implementation of the Strategic Plan 3.A historic protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing – after 18 years of discussion and negotiation

And much else 49 decisions reached in all – most of them agreed in principle before Ministers arrived. Covered, for example: (a)Climate Change and Biodiversity (b)Biofuels and Biodiversity (c)Marine and Coastal Biodiversity (d)IPBES Also, many side-events where important issues were discussed, and Ministers, Chief Executives and other influential people spoke: (i)TEEB (ii)World Bank (iii)Harrison Ford

The new CBD Strategic Plan, the ‘Aichi’ targets A blueprint for global action consisting of: A 2050 vision A new global 2020 headline target A series of 20 specific, ambitious and realistic targets sub-targets which set out what all countries are now expected to do in order to conserve the world’s biodiversity before it is too late…

The ‘Vision’ for 2050 By 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people

2020 Mission – the new global target Take effective and urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity in order to ensure that by 2020 ecosystems are resilient and continue to provide essential services, thereby securing the planet’s variety of life, and contributing to human well-being, and poverty eradication; To ensure this:_ pressures on biodiversity are reduced, ecosystems are restored, biological resources are sustainably used benefits arising out of utilization of genetic resources are shared in a fair and equitable manner; adequate financial resources are provided, capacities are enhanced, biodiversity issues and values mainstreamed, appropriate policies are effectively implemented, and decision-making is based on sound science and the precautionary approach.

The 20 targets (in shorthand) include commitments to: 2: integrate biodiversity values into national accounts 4: keep the impacts of use of natural resources well within safe ecological limits 5: at least halve and, where feasible, bringing close to zero the rate of loss of natural habitats, including forests 6: fishing within safe ecological limits/avoid overfishing 7: areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry managed sustainably 11: conserve at least 17% of terrestrial and 10% of marine areas through effective protected areas 15: restore 15% of degraded ecosystems 17: Update NBSAPs 20: substantially increase financial resources from all sources

Implementing the 2020 targets The global targets in the Strategic Plan are a flexible framework for the development of national targets Level at which most appropriate to address the targets (EU/National/Country level) varies The EU will also publish its own post-2010 Biodiversity Strategy, expected in early 2011 Parties agreed to revise and update NBSAPs to include the new targets (by 2012) Natural Environment White Paper will be published in Spring 2011

Why was Nagoya successful? A few reasons: (a)Japanese input – money, influence, determination. (b)2010 a landmark year – International Year of Biodiversity, target date for original 2010 target, set in Johannesburg. (c)Pivotal position of ABS – huge efforts over 18 years, but particularly last two. (d)Immense political push on site to get the package agreed. But not the end of the story. For regions and countries to follow up with own action, and for the next CBD Conference in 2012 in New Delhi to sort out the money.

Thank you for your attention