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TOOLKIT
Together Towards
a Global Deal
FOR NATURE AND PEOPLE
Involving young people in setting
targets for biodiversity, ecosystems
and sustainable use
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Together Towards a Global Deal for Nature and People
Involving young people in setting targets for biodiversity,
ecosystems and sustainable use
Nord 2019:035
ISBN 978-92-893-6262-7 (PRINT)
ISBN 978-92-893-6263-4 (PDF)
ISBN 978-92-893-6264-1 (EPUB)
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/10.6027/Nord2019-035
© Nordic Co-operation 2019
Layout: Gitte Wejnold and Louise Jeppesen
Photos: Unsplash.com
Print: Rosendahls
Printed in Denmark
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TOOLKIT
Together Towards
a Global Deal
FOR NATURE AND PEOPLE
Involving young people in setting
targets for biodiversity, ecosystems
and sustainable use
Authors:
Christian Prip (Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway),
Thor Hjarsen (WWF: World Wildlife Fund, Denmark), Bjørn Bedsted
(Danish Technological Board, Denmark) and Mette Gervin Damsgaard
(Nordic Council).
Editorial committee:
Mette Gervin Damsgaard (Nordic Council),
Eva Juul Jensen (Nordic Council of Ministers), Sigga Jacobsen (Nordic
Council of Ministers), Melina Sakiyama (Global Youth Biodiversity
Network), Tine Svendsen (Den Grønne Studenterbevægelse), Gustaf
Zachrisson (trainee from Swedish Society for Nature Conservation/
Naturskyddsföreningen), Karolina Lång (Nordic Youth Council), Nicholas
Kujala (Nordic Youth Council), Elva Hrönn Hjartardóttir (Nordic Youth
Council), Annika Lepistö, Lovisa Roos (Fältbiologerna Sverige), Monika
Skadborg (Danish Council on Climate Change), Ann-Katrine Garn (Chair
– IUCN National Committee of Denmark) and Christa Elmgren (UNR)
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“With the new
global deal on
biodiversity, we have
an opportunity for
intergenerational
equity. Let’s start by
coming together as
one
powerful
voice.”
GUSTAF ZACHRISSON, TRAINEE,
SWEDISH SOCIETY FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
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Contents
7
11
20
23
30
33
35
37
A NEW DEAL FOR NATURE AND PEOPLE
Session 1
THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY – WHAT IS AT STAKE?
QUESTIONS
Session 2
GLOBAL TARGETS FOR BIODIVERSITY
QUESTIONS
Session 3
YOUTH PARTICIPATION AND RESPONSIBILITY
QUESTIONS
Session 4
THE CONNECTIVITY OF BIODIVERSITY AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
QUESTIONS
Session 5
INSTRUMENTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW DEAL
QUESTIONS
RECOMMENDATION SESSION
ANNEX QUESTIONS
EVALUATION SESSION
41
43
45
46
47
Manual: for organizing youth consultations
Together towards a global deal for nature and people
– click on this link
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A new deal for
nature and people
Toolkit introduction
What is this?
This is an opportunity
for you, your friends
and your network
to participate
and contribute to
the current global
negotiations on
biodiversity.
Welcome to this toolkit for involving young people in setting new targets for the
protection and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems, thereby securing
a new global deal for nature and people! This toolkit is made available to young
people and those who want to engage young people in the development of a
new global deal for nature and people. Anyone who wishes to arrange, facilitate
and engage in youth consultations is invited to use the toolkit. The results can
be communicated to decision-makers, the public and other relevant institutions
and will be part of a bigger movement of youth around the world.
It is expected that a new deal for nature and people will be adobted by the end
of 2020. For more information about the process and involvement of youth
please see the following links.
For more information about the global process, please see
https:/
/www.cbd.int/conferences/post2020
For more information about the Global Youth Biodiversity Network, please see
https:/
/www.gybn.org/
For further guidance on how to organize youth consultations, please see
Manual for organizing youth consultations – Together towards a global deal
for nature and people.
By reading this toolkit and answering the questions, and by organising and
participating in youth consultations, you will have an opportunity to engage in
the negotiations for a global deal for nature and people and let your voice be
heard by governments and other decision-makers.
What is at stake?
We hope that you will
participate and engage
in this. It is needed –
because it is also your
future.
Biodiversity, which encompasses ecosystems, species and genetic resources,
is in decline across this planet from the high Arctic to the tropical forests,
and from the coral reefs to the open oceans. Some people argue that the
world is facing a sixth mass extinction of species comparable to the last mass
extinction that took place c. 65 million years ago, in which the dinosaurs died
out. Today we are experiencing a loss of wild species at a rate 100-1,000 times
greater than that of a “natural” extinction. And this time, it is being caused by
human beings.
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This is a global challenge of similar magnitude to that of climate change. If we
lose species and ecosystems, they will never come back.
The countries that have signed the UN Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) are meeting in Kunming, China in October 2020 to agree on a new
global deal for nature to reverse this decline of species and the destruction of
habitats and ecosystems. The outcomes of the activities based on this toolkit
will be directly used in this process.
The level of ambition for a new global deal for nature will influence the
livelihoods of future generations and the conditions of nature. It is therefore
crucial that young people have a say and provide their ideas and input for such
a new deal, including the setting of new targets to protect biodiversity.
Why do we need global goals for biodiversity?
The CBD was established in 1992 with the aim of protecting biodiversity and
conserving ecosystems. Despite efforts to protect and manage biodiversity
sustainably, assessments show that the world is far from halting the loss of
biodiversity and the destruction of ecosystems on planet Earth.
This was most recently documented by the UN platform on biodiversity and
ecosystem services, IPBES, in their Global Assessment Report from May 2019
(https://www.ipbes.net/global-assessment-report-biodiversity-ecosystem-
services).
In 2010, the 196 signatory states of the CBD adopted a sophisticated strategic
framework and 20 biodiversity targets – the so-called Aichi Targets. The
strategic plan is referred to as the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–20.
However, the existing Aichi Targets will expire in 2020 and a New Deal for
Nature and People with new targets will be adopted in 2020.
It is to help formulate
this New Deal for
Nature and People and
set new targets that
we need your say!
How should this toolkit be used?
You will be part of a comprehensive and participatory global process to
formulate the new deal.
The toolkit will provide you with up-to-date information on biodiversity, on how
the CBD works, and on how it is implemented. An overview is also included of
key issues and dilemmas to be discussed in relation to setting new biodiversity
targets.
Each “session” of the toolkit consists of background information, followed by a
questionnaire. The questions relate to known priorities and problems, and you
will receive guidance on these. All your answers may be further elaborated by
answering the
WHY?
or
Elaborate questions.
How do we submit our responses?
If you are from one of the Nordic countries (Greenland, Åland, Iceland,
Sweden, Finland, Norway or Denmark), please submit your response to
[email protected]
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How will our input be used?
The Nordic Council (NC) and the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) are
responsible for this toolkit, and they will collect and process the reports from
the workshops that have taken place in the countries within the Nordic region.
A synthesis report with youth recommendations for a Global Deal for
Nature and People will be developed on the basis of the outcome of youth
consultations across the Nordic Region. The synthesis report will be used
directly in the negotiations for a New Deal for Nature and Biodiversity by a
Nordic youth delegation representing all the Nordic Countries.
The synthesis report will also be presented to the Nordic Council of Ministers
and the Nordic Council.
The synthesis report will be made available online at
www.norden.org.
For those living outside the Nordic countries who whishes to arrange, facilitate
and engage in youth consultations is invited to use the toolkit. The results can
be communicated to decision-makers, the public and other relevant institutions
including the Convention on biological diversity and will be part of a bigger
movement of youth around the world.
Who is behind this toolkit?
The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers, in association with
young people from the Nordic countries.
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“Since 1900 and up till today,
the cumulative extinction
rate of
amphibians
has
increased approximately
tenfold by comparison with
the rate from 1800
till 1900”
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Session 1
The loss of
biodiversity –
What is
at stake?
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Session 1
The loss of biodiversity –
What is at stake?
What is biodiversity?
Biological diversity, or biodiversity for short, is the
web of life: the infrastructure that supports all
life from genes and chromosomes to fungi, plants,
animals and ecosystems on land, in freshwater
and in the sea: All of it is interconnected and
interdependent, in an inexhaustible web of
complex and diverse ecological interactions and
relationships.
This web is in a state of constant change, evolving
through time in a dynamic way, but maintaining at
the same time the integrity of the system, which is
responsible for providing all the essential services
BOX 1
Biodiversity-rich ecosystems on land and at sea
Natural forests
cover nearly a third of the Earth’s surface, and are host to much of the
world’s biodiversity on land.
• It is estimated that about half of the world’s species are found in forested areas,
particularly in species-rich tropical forests.
•
There is a big difference between so-called primary forests, newly-logged, and sec-
ondary or planted forests.
• Forests are also one of the world’s most important renewable natural resources for
humans, supplying timber for fuel, building materials, paper and non-wood goods.
• Some 240 million people live in forested regions, and close to 1.6 billion people –
more than 25% of the world’s population – rely on forest resources for their liveli-
hoods.
Coral reefs
are the forests of the oceans in terms of rich biodiversity.
•
They sustain fish, protect against natural hazards and regulate the climate. Up to
half a billion people depend on coral reefs economically, for example in fishery and
tourism.
• Nearly 200 million people rely on coral reefs for protection against storm surges and
waves.
•
By one estimate (2003), the total net benefit per year from the world’s coral reefs is
USD 29.8 billion.
• Tourism and recreation account for USD 9.6 billion of this amount, coastal protec-
tion USD 9.0 billion, fisheries USD 5.7 billion, and biodiversity USD 5.5 billion. These
are the direct gains, but also the costs if similar services were to be established or
replaced.
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that are necessary for living organisms to thrive on
this planet.
Biodiversity is life.
Science defines biodiversity at three levels:
1. Ecosystems (all types of wild nature, such as
forests, deserts, coral reefs, etc.)
2. Species (a group of living organisms with
similar individuals capable of exchanging genes
or interbreeding)
3. Genetic diversity (the variation in the genetic
information among wild populations of species.
This variation drives evolution and may be
caused by mutation, environmental factors or
competition between species.)
The more diverse and varied the organisms, the
greater the biodiversity. Tropical areas are thus in
general more biodiverse than Arctic areas – but all
living organisms everywhere are adapted to the
natural environment in which they live, and are
uniquely associated with each other after millions
of years of evolution.
While biodiversity exists everywhere on Earth,
it is not evenly distributed across the surface of
the globe. Some areas hold extraordinarily high
numbers of species, while others have groups of
many species with very limited distribution, making
them vulnerable to habitat destruction within their
small areas. Conservation must prioritise such
areas, which are called
biodiversity hotspots.
As examples, scientists have identified 25 globally
important biodiversity hotspots on land and at
sea where exceptional concentrations of endemic
species are undergoing exceptional loss of habitat.
Why does biodiversity matter?
If we didn’t have insects and other pollinating
animals to move pollen from one part of a flower
to another, which is essential for the production
of fruit and seeds, we would lose the majority
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of fruits, vegetables andnuts. There would be
no coffee in the mornings if insects and other
pollinating animals disappeared!
Humans, like any other species on the planet,
are part of this intricate web of life. We are
connected to it and depend on the resilience of this
life-supporting system for our survival – for the
supply of raw materials, water, food, medicines
and energy, the pollination of certain crops, the
formation of soils and protection from floods,
storms and erosion, but also for recreation,
inspiration and religious purposes.
This interaction between living biodiversity and
water, minerals and the climate provides a range
of vital services that underpin production, trade,
livelihoods and consumption in every country
(see Box 1).
Biodiversity also has a value of its own. Almost
every culture cherishes nature as part of its
tradition, religion or spirituality. Many people feel
a moral duty to pass on to their children the same
natural world they have enjoyed, and believe that
other species have a right to exist whether humans
need them or not.
The value of biodiversity can therefore be hard
to measure, and the use of such assessment is
debated. What, for example, is the value of a
certain beautiful species of butterfly, compared to
a large tropical tree that can be used for timber?
Moreover, the various uses and productions of
nature’s contributions to human quality of life do
not always go hand in hand.
The production of, for example, food, animal
feed, wood and bioenergy may well lead to the
destruction of forests, coral reefs and other
areas with rich biodiversity when done in an
unsustainable way. In fact, our conversion and
destruction of habitats is the main driver of the
loss of biodiversity, and we are now seeing the
effects.
Without the “human factor” – the intrinsic value of
biodiversity
•
As far as we know, Earth is the only place in the
Universe that harbours life – i.e. biodiversity.
•
Birds, plants, butterflies, frogs and trees are all
unique and irreplaceable lifeforms with whom
we share this planet, and they all have just as
much right to be here as human beings. If they
become extinct, they will never return in the
same form.
•
Areas of high biodiversity, i.e. with high genetic
diversity, help to secure biodiversity itself in
terms of ongoing and future evolutionary
processes, making them more resilient.
•
Ecosystems and species are interdependent
both in stable systems and in unstable systems
after natural catastrophes, etc..
With the “human factor” – biodiversity’s value to
people (Source: IPBES, 2019):
•
More than 2 billion people rely on wood as fuel
to meet their primary energy needs.
•
Approx. 4 billion people rely primarily on natural
medicines for their healthcare.
•
70% of the drugs used to treat cancer are
natural products, or synthetic products inspired
by nature.
•
75% of food crops rely on animal pollination.
•
Ecosystems on land and at sea are sinks for
carbon emissions. They sequester 5.6 gigatons
of carbon per year, which is equivalent to 60%
of all carbon emissions by humans.
What is the state of biodiversity, and what is
at stake?
In May 2019, the UN Intergovernmental Science-
Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES), often referred to as ‘the IPCC for
biodiversity’, launched a Global Assessment Report
on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services – the most
comprehensive report yet completed. Below are
listed some of the alarming findings of this report:
•
The current rate of extinction is likely to
accelerate rapidly and wipe out up to a million
of Earth’s estimated eight million species,
many within decades. The species that
disappear will be lost forever.
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Figure 1.
Benefits from nature
(Source: WWF Living Planet Report, 2018)
•
•
•
The average abundance of native species in
most major land-based habitats has fallen by
at least 20%, mostly since 1900.
More than 40% of amphibian species (frogs
and toads), almost 33% of reef-forming
corals and more than a third of all marine
mammals are threatened. The picture is less
clear for insect species, but the available
evidence supports a tentative estimate of
10% under threat. At least 680 vertebrate
species (animals with backbones) have been
driven to extinction since the 16th century and
more than 9% of all domesticated breeds of
mammals used for food and agriculture had
become extinct by 2016, with at least 1,000
more breeds still under threat. (See Figure 3).
Over 90% of major marine fish stocks are in
decline or overexploited.
•
•
•
•
•
G
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85% of all wetland areas have been lost,
i.e. swamps, lakes, streams, rivers, coastal
lagoons, etc.
From 2010-2015 more than 32 million hectares
of wild tropical areas were lost.
Humanity dumps up to 400 million tonnes of
heavy metals, toxic sludge and other waste
into the oceans and rivers each year.
Three-quarters of the land-based environment
and about 66% of the marine environment has
been significantly altered by human actions.
On average these trends have been less
severe or avoided in areas held or managed by
indigenous peoples and local communities.
Agriculture and food consumption are
especially destructive, accounting for a third of
land use, 75% percent of freshwater use and a
quarter of greenhouse gas emissions.
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Figure 2.
Extinction rates of selected species groups over the last 500 years
(Source: IPBES, 2019)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Soil degradation has been worsened by the
increased use of fertilisers, which has risen
fourfold in just 13 years in Asia and doubled
worldwide since 1990.
Fertilisers entering coastal ecosystems have
produced more than 400 ‘dead zones’.
Land degradation has reduced the productivity
of 23% of the global land surface.
Urban areas have more than doubled since
1992.
Plastic pollution has increased tenfold since
1980.
The negative trends in nature are likely to
continue until 2050 and beyond, although with
significant differences between regions.
at a rate 100-1,000 times greater than that of
a “natural” extinction.
Why is biodiversity disappearing?
The causes of the loss of biodiversity can broadly be
divided into
direct
and
indirect
drivers:
Direct drivers (examples)
These are drivers or causes which directly bring
about a loss of biodiversity and destroy ecosystems.
They include:
•
Human exploitation of land and water
that destroys forests, coral reefs and other
biodiversity-rich ecosystems for the benefit
of agriculture, aquaculture and other types of
production (Figure 3).
•
Overexploitation of natural resources –
especially fish stocks and wild forests.
Some people argue that the world is facing a sixth
mass extinction of species, with loss of wild species
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•
•
•
Pollution of ecosystems, for example with
nutrients and plastic.
Globalisation, which results in species being
moved and introduced into ecosystems to
which they do not belong and which they
invade (invasive alien species).
Climate change, which both affects
biodiversity directly and exacerbates the other
threats.
•
•
Indirect causes or drivers (examples)
All indirect drivers of biodiversity loss are the
consequences of how humans live, both now and
in the recent past, such as our extraction and
production rates, driven by our ever-increasing
patterns of consumption and trade:
•
•
The global economy has grown nearly fourfold
and global trade has grown tenfold, which in
combination increases the demand for energy
and materials.
The 2019 IPBES Global Assessment shows
that the biodiversity collapse is primarily due
to changes in land use to meet our increased
consumption of meat, for which purpose
large natural areas have been converted and
degraded.
Population growth. The human population has
doubled over the past fifty years.
Economic incentives and legislation
have favoured deterioration rather than
conservation and restoration.
Figure 3.
Examples of the global decline in nature, emphasising declines in biodiversity that have been and continue
to be caused by direct and indirect drivers of change. The direct drivers (land/sea use change; direct exploitation of
organisms; climate change; pollution and invasive alien species) arise from an array of underlying societal causes
(Source: IPBES, 2019)
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What can be done?
According to the IPBES Global Assessment Report,
urgent action needs to be taken to build a global
sustainable economy that steers away from the
narrow focus on economic growth. As part of this
fundamental shift, the report says we should:
•
create positive incentives in agriculture,
fisheries and other industries to reward
biodiversity-friendly production;
•
eliminate harmful incentives that reward
“unfriendly” production;
•
act with more caution to ensure that our
ecosystems remain resilient in the face of the
uncertainty and complexity caused by climate
change and other threats such as invasive alien
species;
•
strengthen biodiversity legislation, policies and
their implementation, and the rule of law in
general.
Our economic systems, the report also says, have
so far failed to reflect the high value of nature and
biodiversity and the high cost of its deterioration.
Protection of nature has been secondary to
more short-sighted concerns such as increasing
economic growth, creating jobs, enhancing the
competitiveness of industry and keeping prices low.
Gradually, political and business leaders and
the financial sector are beginning to question
how global environmental trends will affect the
economy of countries and sectors, and thereby also
the financial markets.
Indirect solutions, according to the IPBES
Global Assessment Report 2019
Although the services of nature are indispensable
to society and are estimated to be worth
around USD 125 trillion a year globally, they are
mostly considered to be free of charge. This,
the global IPBES assessments points out, is a
harmful incentive causing the overexploitation of
ecosystems.
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Solutions
Halt the loss of biodiversity
Possible pathways
- Safeguard biodiversity
- Greater protection of biodiversity
through enlarged and more effective
protected area systems, halting
conversion of natural areas, large-
scale restoration of degraded land,
biodiversity offsetting where land
transformation is unavoidable
- Low-consumption lifestyles
- Lower per-capita consumption
patterns, including adoption of less
land-degrading diets, such as more
vegetable-based diets, and low- and
renewable-energy-based housing,
transportation and industrial systems
- Global human population at near zero
growth
- Improving gender equality and moving
towards improved access to education,
voluntary family planning and social
welfare
- Circular economy
- Reduced food loss and waste, sustain-
able waste and sanitation manage-
ment systems, reuse and recycling of
materials
- Low-input production systems and
resource management
- More land-, energy-, water- and
material-efficient and low-emission
production systems for food, fibre,
bioenergy, and other commodities
New ways of living, including much reduced resources
per citizen
Brake the rate of population growth on the planet to
zero
Significantly reduce the amount of waste, including
plastics, and re-use resources
More efficient use of resources
Move environmentally-friendly use of nature
- Sustainable land management
(Source: IPBES, 2019)
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Session 1
Questions
The loss of biodiversity –
What is at stake?
How concerned are you about the loss of
biodiversity?
•
•
•
•
Very concerned
Moderately concerned
Not concerned
Don’t know / Do not wish to answer
If a conflict arises between economic
growth and protection of biodiversity and
ecosystems, which do you think should come
first?
•
•
Protection and sustainable use of biodiversity
and ecosystems
Balance between protection of biodiversity and
ecosystems and economic growth
Economic growth
Highlight the statements that, in your
opinion, are the most important reasons for
stopping the decline in biodiversity
•
•
•
•
•
•
I think biodiversity is beautiful
I think biodiversity has a right to exist
We need biodiversity for food
I think biodiversity is important for climate
change mitigation and adaptation
We need biodiversity for economic growth
All of the above
•
Why?
How should the responsibility for conserving
biodiversity be shared between biodiversity-
rich countries and economically-rich
countries?
•
•
•
•
Rich countries should pay to conserve
biodiversity in developing countries
It is a global responsibility to conserve
biodiversity in developing countries
It is the relevant country’s own responsibility to
conserve its biodiversity
Companies from rich countries that use/
comsume products from areas with rich
biodiversity must take responsibility
Private sector
Why?
•
Why?
→
Link to Session 1
digital questionnaire
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Discussion: How should we address the direct
causes of biodiversity loss?
Continue yourself, where relevant:
Secure more protected area by …
Protect endangered species by …
Support poorer countries by …
Integrate considerations of biodiversity into
relevant sector policies and programmes
Change the behaviour of those who are harming
biodiversity
Other:
Discussion: How should we address the in-
direct causes of biodiversity loss?
Continue yourself, where relevant:
Secure a more sustainable economy by …
Change legislation and harmful incentives by …
Regulate the agricultural sector so that it is less
harmful to biodiversity
Other:
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“Since 1900 and up till
today, the cumulative
extinction rate of
mammals
has doubled by comparison
with the rate from 1800
till 1900”
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Session 2
Global targets
for biodiversity
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Session 2
Global targets
for biodiversity
About the Convention on Biological Diversity
The CBD was signed by the world’s heads
of state in 1992 at the UN Conference on
Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro,
alongside the Convention on Climate Change
and other significant documents in international
environmental policy such as Agenda 21, the Rio
Declaration, the Forest Declaration and a decision
to develop a convention to combat desertification.
The CBD has been signed by 195 states and the
European Union. All parties except the USA have
ratified the treaty.
often been sold and protected by patents or other
intellectual property rights without fair benefit to
the source countries. (Sustaining Life on Earth,
SCBD, 2000)
Sharing the Benefits of Genetic Resources
The Convention recognizes that countries have
sovereign rights over their genetic resources, and
that these are subject to free, prior informed
consent from the providing country and mutually
agreed terms on the benefits to be provided in
return for access and use. These benefits are
intended to support the natural environment by
applying the resources gained for conservation
purposes.
To ensure a fair share of the benefits arising from
genetic resources, the parties have agreed that all
countries/companies extracting genetic resources
from another country are obliged to share their
benefits from these genetic resources. This
agreement is referred to as the Nagoya protocol,
and is an agreement under the CBD.
Despite these efforts, assessments show little
positive impact on biodiversity, as described in the
IPBES Global Assessment Report.
The Objectives of the Convention
The comprehensiveness of the Convention is
reflected in its three objectives:
1. Conservation of biodiversity
2. Sustainable use of biodiversity and its
components
3. Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits
arising from the utilisation of genetic
resources, and protection of the rights of
indigenous people.
An important part of the biodiversity debate
involves access to and sharing of the benefits
arising out of the commercial and other utilisation
of genetic material, such as in pharmaceutical
products.
Most of the world’s biodiversity is found in
developing countries, who consider it a resource
for fuelling their economic and social development.
Historically, plant genetic resources were
collected for commercial use outside their region
of origin, or as inputs in plant breeding. Foreign
companies have searched for natural substances
to develop new commercial products, such as
pharmaceuticals, and the resulting products have
The 2010-2020 Global Biodiversity Targets
In 2010 the 196 signatory states of the CBD
adopted a sophisticated strategic framework
including 20 biodiversity targets (the so-called
Aichi Targets). Box 5 provides an overview of the
strategic plan.
Quick guides to the targets can be found here:
https://www.cbd.int/doc/strategic-plan/targets/
compilation-quick-guide-en.pdf.
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BOX 2
The Aichi Targets: vision, mission, strategic goals and targets of the Strategic Plan for
Biodiversity, 2011 – 2020
VISION
Living in harmony with nature
By 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem
services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.
MISSION
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 and the benefits arising from the utilisation 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 principle.
Strategic Goal A:
Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity
across government and society.
Strategic Goal B:
Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use.
Strategic Goal C:
Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems,
species and genetic diversity.
Strategic Goal D:
Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Strategic Goal E:
Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge
management and capacity building.
Overview of Aichi Biodiversity Targets
Awareness
of
biodiversity
increased
Biodiversity
values
integrated
Incentives
reformed
Sustainable Habitat loss
production
halved or
and
reduced
consumption
Sustainable
management
of living
aquatic
resources
Sustainable Pollution
agriculture, reduced
aquaculture
and forestry
Invasive
alien species
prevented
and
controlled
Ecosystems
vulnerable
to climate
change
Protected
areas
Reducing
risk of
extinctions
Safeguarding Ecosystem
genetic
services
diversity
Ecosystem
restoration
and
resilience
Access to
and sharing
benefits
from genetic
resources
Biodiversity
strategies
and action
plans
Traditional
knowledge
Sharing
information
and
knowledge
Mobilizing
resources
from all
sources
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Figure 4.
IPBES rating of the Aichi Targets
(Source: IPBES, 2019)
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The Status of Implementation of the Strate-
gic Plan and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets
The strategic plan and its 20 biodiversity targets
expire in 2020, and the Assessment Report shows
that the targets are a long way from being
reached. (Figure 4).
The targets towards which most progress has
been made are those that clearly state measurable
goals and ensure the accountability of countries.
However, science has also shown that a single-
figure target can be misleading:
The rating “GOOD” by IPBES as target 11.1 and
11.2 (see Figure 4) communicates only that on
a global scale we are close to having designated
17% of the land surface and 10% of sea areas
as protected areas. However, there is evidence
that more than one-third of protected land areas
have been degraded due to inadequate protection
and management. The problems are often illegal
logging of protected forests, illegal fishing in
marine national parks, and agriculture inside
national parks where domestic animals compete
with wild grazers. Such unsustainable activities
and use of natural resources inside protected areas
can often be related to poverty, conflicts, weak
government structures and corruption.
Conversely, broader, process-oriented and less
tangible targets have achieved little or no progress.
These include targets that address the underlying
causes of biodiversity and are thereby directed at
deeper societal factors such as consumption and
production patterns and the removal of harmful
subsidies – factors that the Global Assessment
Report deems essential to act on.
2.
3.
There appears to be support for maintaining
the current 2050 Vision, Living in Harmony with
Nature.
There is broad agreement that new targets
should
not
be less ambitious than the current
ones. Various suggestions are being discussed:
a. Since the great majority of the Aichi
Targets have not been met (Figure 4), this
speaks in favour of continuing with the
Aichi Targets for the next decade.
b. However, the need expressed by many for
‘transformative change’ – a term that has
already become a buzz word in the process
– calls for thinking in a more outside-the-
box manner. In addition, many of the Aichi
Targets are process-oriented with few
quantifiable outputs and outcomes.
c. There is also an argument for moving
towards targets that are more SMART
(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic
and Time-bound).
Below are some selected themes that may be
up for discussion in the process towards a new
framework:
Protected Areas on Land and at Sea
Among the few Aichi Targets for 2020 on which
progress has been made is Target 11 on extending
protected area coverage on land and at sea by
17 and 10 percent, respectively. However, this
target is widely felt to be insufficiently ambitious,
considering the overall picture of what will be
needed to halt biodiversity loss.
The recent scientific paper “A Global Deal For
Nature: Guiding principles, milestones, and targets“
(https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/4/
eaaw2869/tab-pdf) suggests setting aside up to
50% of the Earth’s land areas as protected in order
to meet the Paris Agreement target, and at the
same time reduce species extinction rates. These
areas would include habitats such as mangroves,
tundra, peatlands, ancient grasslands, and boreal
and tropical rainforests that store vast reserves
of greenhouse gases while also containing rich
biodiversity.
A New Global Deal for Nature and People
What is the direction of the international
negotiations at the moment?
1.
There appears to be a broad understanding
that the post-2020 framework should be
designed and adopted as an integral part of
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
and its Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) (https://sustainabledevelopment.
un.org/post2015/transformingourworld.
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However, the protected areas only cover a limited
number of important sites for biodiversity and
are often not effectively managed (see above).
National parks located near beautiful landscapes
and waterfalls are often not where the most
endangered or sensitive biodiversity is located.
There are thus good reasons for setting new
ambitious targets for protected areas after 2030
– including for the benefits that protected areas
can provide for climate change mitigation and
adaptation.
The main challenge in setting more areas aside
for protection is the ever-increasing demand for
productive land and sea use to feed a growing
global population.
The ecological footprint
Biodiversity-rich countries are often developing
countries with high poverty and high population
growth resulting in pressure on natural resources
and biodiversity. However, people from the rich
countries also leave ecological footprints harmful
to biodiversity in the developing countries through
our consumption demands for food, clothes,
electronics, etc.
Engaging business in the cause of biodiversity
The responsibility of businesses and the private
sector in protecting biodiversity is multifaceted.
Businesses are producers of, providers of and
investors in useful environmental technology, but
also often cause harm to biodiversity through their
industrial activities and business decisions.
Moreover, businesses are both affected by and
rely upon ecosystem services and their underlying
biodiversity. Examples of industries that depend
directly on the health of ecosystems are forestry,
fishing, agriculture and ecotourism.
The business sector is a key factor in the
development of a greener economy, and is thereby
part of the solution for creating market-based
instruments for biodiversity conservation and
sustainable use.
Important questions that have already been
identified by countries and other stakeholders
in the progress towards a New Global Deal
for Nature and People
•
•
How and to what extent should new targets
relate to the Aichi Targets?
Acknowledging that the Aichi Targets include
many of the right elements, including for new
targets, should they be re-organised through
a pyramid approach with layers of targets,
actions and enabling conditions in support of
an overall 2030 mission? (Figure 5)
How should new targets leave room for
specifically adapted national and regional
targets?
How should new targets deal with the cost
of meeting the targets, and who should pay
– including differentiated responsibilities
between developed and developing countries?
What should be the mechanism for monitoring
the implementation of targets?
Should the post-2020 framework include a
Paris Agreement-like system with regular
nationally determined contributions that
gradually become more ambitious and
are regularly evaluated (a “rachet-up
mechanism”)?
How should new targets align with other global
targets, including under the Paris Agreement
and the SDGs?
•
•
•
•
•
The SDGs and New Biodiversity Targets
A new global deal for nature is not only a matter of
the CBD.
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Elements of a Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework
A focused, quanti�½iable, and communicable
goal
so the world clearly understands the
value of nature
2030
Goal
Quanti�½ied
objectives
for the state of biodiversity: e.g. for species abundance,
ecosystems, nature’s contributions to people, etc. These targets are indicative of
the state of the world we want to see in 2030.
Objectives
Priority
actions
needed for implementation. The level of ambition and
implementation would need to be raised over time to impact the
“Objectives”.
Actions
Supporting and
enabling conditions
that are needed across
interventions for actions to be effective. Examples of these
means of implementation include good governance,
�½inancing, capacity building and communications
Enabling Conditions
Figure 5.
Elements of a Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework. (Source: Discussion paper ‘Key Elements and
Innovations for the CBD’s Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework: A Collaborative Discussion Piece’ 2019.
https://www.cbd.int/doc/strategic-plan/Post2020/postsbi/birdlife2.pdf)
The importance and role of biodiversity and
ecosystems are reflected broadly across the UN
SDGs and their targets, both directly and indirectly.
The role of biodiversity and ecosystems is most
directly reflected in SDG 14 (life below water), and
SDG 15 (life on land).
Since biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are of
such importance to sustainable development, the
IPBES Global Assessment Report predicts that the
current negative trends for nature will undermine
progress towards 80% (35 out of 44) of the
assessed targets of the SDGs relating to poverty,
hunger, health, water, cities, climate, oceans and
land.
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Session 2
Questions
Global goals
for biodiversity
How ambitious should a New Deal for Nature
and People be?
•
•
•
Less ambitious than the existing strategic plan
and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets
The same level of ambition as today
A lot more ambitious
•
•
•
50% of all land should be protected by 2030
The targets should reflect the status of
biodiversity at a regional level
Other suggestions?
Why?
Should there be a target for developed
countries (and follow-up national targets) to
reduce their ecological footprints in develop-
ing countries?
•
•
Yes
No
What kind of targets should a New Global
Deal have?
Choose the options you consider most important
•
•
•
•
•
•
They should be more or less the same as the
existing Aichi Biodiversity Targets
They should be much more concrete and
measurable
They should be regionalised regarding
biodiversity
They should be time bound
They should be legally binding
Other suggestions?
What kind of target – if any - should be set to
address sustainable consumption and
production?
Choose the answers you consider most important
•
Keeping the existing Aichi Biodiversity Targets
(develop plans for sustainable production and
consumption)
Formulate specific, measurable and realistic
targets
The target, whether qualitative or quantitative,
should be nation-specific
Other suggestions?
•
•
What should the global target be for
protected areas on land?
•
•
Keep the status quo (17% of all land and
freshwater areas)
Protected areas should be doubled by 2030
•
→
Link to Session 2
digital questionnaire
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How do we ensure that business delivers
for nature?
Choose the answers you consider most important
•
•
•
•
•
Businesses should always be part of the
solution
There should be a global target which
ensures that business delivers for nature
Business plans and strategies should include
protection of biodiversity and ecosystems
Through legislation that regulates business
to protect biodiversity and ecosystems
Other suggestions?
Should there be a tax on products that are
harmful to biodiversity and the ecosystem?
•
•
Yes
No
If you could choose, what would be your
priorities for global targets on biodiversity
and everything it entails?
•
•
….
….
Why?
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“Since 1800 the cumulative
extinction rate of
birds
has tripled”
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Session 3
Youth
participation
and responsibility
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Session 3
Youth participation
and responsibility
Participation and youth engagement
A distinctive feature of the Convention on
Biological Diversity is its openness to allowing
participation by non-governmental organisations,
including youth groups, indigenous people and
NGOs. This participation ensures a high degree
of transparency and is a recognition of the fact
that implementation cannot be achieved by
governments alone, but requires buy-ins and
partnerships with the organisations of civil society
and businesses.
The Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) is
an international network of youth organisations
and individuals who are also engaging themselves
in the work. GYBN has around 300 member
organisations, representing a total of around
600,000 members from 140 countries worldwide.
GYBN is the major group representing young
people in the negotiations under the Convention,
and is bringing the opinions and positions of young
people into the political process and empowering
young people to take action.
See also the GYBN website:
https:/
/www.gybn.org/about-gybn
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Session 3
Questions
Youth participation
and responsibility
Would you be willing to consume in a more
sustainable manner (for example by eating
less meat, buying fewer clothes, checking the
origin of the products you buy and choosing
fairer and sustainable options)?
•
•
Yes
No
Should governments decide on a mechanism
that ensures that young people can
contribute to the implementation of a New
Deal for Nature and People?
•
•
Yes
No
Why?
Would you be willing to reduce your
greenhouse gas emissions by reducing your
air travel?
•
•
Yes
No
What could the following sectors do to
help you to consume in a fairer and more
sustainable way?
•
•
•
•
•
Governments:
Business:
NGOs:
Researchers:
Media:
Would you be willing to pay extra for
air travel, if the extra money is used to
compensate for the CO2 emissions of your
journey?
•
•
Yes
No
Do you consider that young people are
playing an important role in the
implementation of a New Deal for Nature
and People?
•
•
Yes
No
Why?
→
Link to Session 3
digital questionnaire
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“Since 1800 the cumulative
extinction rate of
reptiles
has gone from almost zero
to 1 in every 100 species”
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Session 4
The connectivity
of biodiversity
and climate
change
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Session 4
The connectivity of biodiversity
and climate change
Climate change has attracted far more attention
than the loss of biodiversity. It is sometimes
claimed that consideration of biodiversity is a
‘luxury’ and must give way to combating climate
change. However, the destruction of nature is as
great a threat to humanity as climate change.
Halting biodiversity loss and combating climate
change are both key components of sustainable
development, and are thereby both of crucial
importance for achieving the SDGs.
Moreover, the two topics are closely linked in
various ways:
3.
1.
Climate change is one of the main threats
to biodiversity and adds to the other five
main threats (destruction of wild habitats on
land and at sea, overexploitation of species
and ecosystems, pollution, and invasive alien
species). The International Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) estimates that a 2°C warmer
world would be very critical to a large number
of species – and much more critical than
a temperature rise of ‘only’ 1.5°C. As an
example, the IPCC assesses that with a 1.5°C
temperature increase more than 70% of all
coral reef will disappear, while with a 2°C
increase it will be more than 99%!
Actions to conserve biodiversity may help to
both mitigate and adapt to climate change.
a.
Reducing the loss and degradation of
wild tropical forests is an obvious win-
win solution. Wild, native forests are
the ecosystems that hold the richest
biodiversity on land, while at the same
time they absorb and store a large amount
of carbon. Furthermore, forests play a
locally important role in regional and local
water cycles, and have a cooling effect
on the local climate by securing humidity,
evaporation, precipitation and shade.
b.
In terms of adaptation, intact forests
provide shelter to humans from storms,
flooding and other extreme weather
events compounded by a changing climate.
Designating protected areas of wild
forest could thus serve a triple purpose of
biodiversity conservation, climate change
mitigation and adaptation.
Actions with quick gains for climate change
mitigation and adaptation could easily be
carried out at the expense of biodiversity. In
order to limit the rise in temperature to 1.5
or 2 degrees, CO2 needs to be taken out of
the atmosphere at an increasing rate. One
of the most advanced ways to do so is to
plant energy crops for
bio-energy with carbon
capture and storage
(BECCS). This could
potentially help reduce the level of CO2 in the
atmosphere, but would also require a lot of
land to be planted which would have a very
low level of biodiversity. Planting monoculture
plantations to absorb CO2 is another similar
example.
2.
It is important to note that plantations or
disturbed forests can never sustain biodiversity to
the same degree as wild, native and old forests and
woodlands. Untouched old-growth forests exhibit
a number of important properties that younger,
disturbed forests may not. An old-growth forest
holds more tree species of different ages, and
contains more fallen and decaying trees, as well as
trees with more established root structures and a
taller average height.
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All of these factors help to shape the local
environment, providing a greater variety of
habitats, greater access to some important
nutrients, greater soil drainage and aeration, and
other benefits. These can, in turn, promote the
survival of a wider range of organisms in the area
(https://online.unity.edu/benefits-protecting-old-
growth-forests-sustainability-studies/).
The interlinkages between the Climate
Change Convention and the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD)
The close interlinkages between climate change
and biodiversity make it a clear advantage to
address the two issues in a collaborate and
mutually supportive way.
Many would consider such collaboration benefits
to be obvious, but the two Conventions have a
history of silo mentalities. The increasing political
attention to biodiversity due to the Global
Assessment Report and its strong emphasis on the
interlinkages, as well as the IPCC special report on
the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C
(https://report.ipcc.ch/sr15/pdf/sr15_spm_final.
pdf) could clear the way for closer working
relations between the two.
Strong and clearly measurable targets in the
new deal for nature and people could take into
consideration collaboration between the two
conventions and the climate agenda. This is even
more the case if such targets are accompanied by
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a mechanism to monitor the progress of countries
towards meeting the targets.
Regarding the monitoring of progress, there are
lessons to be learned from the Paris Agreement.
The key elements in the Paris Agreement are the
overarching objective that the average global
temperature rise must be well below 2°C and, if
possible, 1.5°C , combined with an obligation on
all countries to decide on, submit and implement
national measures. These measures must be
continually strengthened, and the countries must
regularly report on their progress.
Every five years, a collective, global status
assessment of the efforts must be undertaken,
and on that basis it will be decided what the next
steps must be. In particular, the requirement for
ongoing, stronger actions and global mechanisms
to evaluate national actions are lacking under the
Biodiversity Convention. So far, many countries
have been reluctant to have their national
biodiversity performance overseen by a global
mechanism.
At national level, the climate change legislation
with legally binding targets introduced in some
countries could provide inspiration for similar
biodiversity legislation.
Nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and
the achievement of its long-term goals. NDCs
embody the efforts by each country to reduce
national emissions and adapt to the impacts of
climate change. The Paris Agreement (Article 4,
paragraph 2 – https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/
english_paris_agreement.pdf) requires all parties
to prepare, communicate and maintain successive,
nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that
they intend to achieve.
NDCs are voluntary national plans that were
drawn up on the basis of a request made under the
UNFCCC decisions at COP19 in Warsaw, two years
ahead of the Paris COP in 2015. They represent
strong political instruments because they send
signals to other countries and to ministers, mayors
and business leaders that the transition to a zero-
carbon and resilient economy is underway.
However, there was no request or instruction from
the UNFCCC for NDCs to include biodiversity,
nature or linkages to the Aichi Targets or the SDGs
in their content.
Despite this, many countries have demonstrated
their understanding of the interrelationship
between these issues and have, to a lesser or
greater degree, incorporated actions that address
climate change as well as biodiversity or the
protection of nature in their adaptation measures
and mitigation targets, or in the consideration of
their main sources of emissions or the extent to
which their ecosystems are vulnerable to climate
change.
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TOGETHER TOWARDS A GLOBAL DEAL FOR NATURE AND PEOPLE
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Session 4
Questions
The connectivity of biodiversity
and climate change
What do you think is the most serious chal-
lenge to human well-being in our future?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Biodiversity loss
Climate change
They are equally serious
They are incomparable topics
Direct or indirect drivers that cause biodiversity
loss and climate change
Other challenges?
•
Civil society and young people need to become
more knowledgeable of the issues and of their
own role
Economic policies should take account of both
the climate and biodiversity
There should be international instruments that
ensure a strong linkage between climate and
biodiversity
International funds in support of biodiversity
and climate projects
Other suggestions?
•
•
•
•
What actions need to be taken to achieve
progress in combating climate change and
protecting biodiversity?
Choose 3 options that you consider most important
•
Climate considerations should be integrated
into relevant policies (agriculture, transport,
energy, etc.) and national biodiversity plans
and policies
Biodiversity considerations should be
integrated into national climate plans and
policies
National, legally binding frameworks for both
climate and biodiversity
Should the Climate Change and Biodiversity
Conventions work together to better address
the interlinkages?
•
•
Yes
No
•
•
→
Link to Session 4
digital questionnaire
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“Since 1900 the cumulative
extinction rate of
fish
has
gone from almost zero to
1 in every 100 species”
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Session 5
Instruments
for the imple-
mentation of
a New Deal
for Nature
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Session 5
Instruments for the implementation
of a New Deal for Nature
National implementation of the CBD and its
biodiversity targets
If we now turn to the CBD and the monitoring of
its biodiversity targets, the instruments are rather
different to those under the Paris agreement. There
are no sanctions for non-compliance with the CBD
and its targets, which also means that national
implementation of the biodiversity targets occurs
via non-binding National Biodiversity Strategy
and Action Plans (NBSAPs), while assessments
of fulfilment take the form of self-assessments
(national reports).
Reporting exercise
The CBD requires countries to report on the
national state of biodiversity. Each country is
supposed to submit a ‘national report’ every four
years: https://www.cbd.int/reports/
The parties have developed guidelines on how to
undertake the reporting, but these guidelines are
voluntary, for which reason the national reports
often take various forms. This makes it rather
difficult to monitor the exact degree of a country’s
contribution to the implementation of targets.
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans
(NBSAPs)
All countries are required to develop plans for how
to protect biodiversity through NBSAPs and make
them publicly available. Countries are required to
compile such NBSAPs and to describe how they
will integrate (‘mainstream’) conservation and the
sustainable use of biodiversity into sectoral and
cross-sectoral plans and policies.
Assessments of NBSAPs confirm that countries
have not moved far on mainstreaming. One
positive trend is that more and more countries are
enacting specific biodiversity legislation to secure
legally binding provisions on action for biodiversity
and hold governments accountable at the highest
level for protecting biodiversity. All of the
NBSAPs can be downloaded from this website:
https://www.cbd.int/nbsap/default.shtml
Pledges
Unlike the Paris Agreement, the CBD has no
mechanism like the Nationally Determined
Contributions, but operates with voluntary pledges.
These pledges can take many shapes and forms,
and there is no formalised structure for making
pledges or following up on them.
Financial obligations
In a non-binding clause, the CBD states that
developing countries are entitled to receive
new and additional financial resources from
the developed countries in order to meet their
obligations under the Convention. This support has
not been forthcoming, according to the developing
countries. The provision of sufficient resources to
meet new targets and build capacity in developing
countries therefore continues to be a hot topic in
the CBD.
Compliance mechanism
The CBD does not have a compliance mechanism,
unlike many other environmental treaties with
more concrete requirements. There are no
sanctions for non-compliance with the CBD and its
decisions. This makes it a challenge to monitor the
exact degree of compliance with the Convention
and its targets. The national conservation of
nature and the provision of support to developing
countries therefore relies to a large degree on
the political will of governments and national
parliaments.
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Session 5
Questions
Instruments for the implementation
of a New Deal for Nature
How should funding be secured to protect
biodiversity in developing countries?
•
•
•
•
The developing countries should be mainly
responsible for securing the necessary funding
The developed countries should be mainly
responsible for securing the necessary funding
The developing and developed countries should
share the costs
Private businesses that utilise biodiversity
and genetic resources should be the main
contributors, e.g. through a biodiversity fund
Other suggestions?
Should countries attending COP15 in China
agree on a system of nationally determined
contributions to protect biodiversity, stepped
up every five years? (as is the case with
climate change under the Paris Agreement)
•
•
Yes
No
Should there be a global mechanism for
monitoring progress on meeting targets in
each country?
•
•
Yes
No
•
Should your government make a commitment
to stopping the decline of biodiversity in
your country through a Biodiversity Act with
legally binding targets? (like the climate
change legislation that exists in some
countries)
•
•
Yes
No
Do you think that NBSAPs that are legally
binding and include a mechanism to increase
ambitions over time (like the Paris Agree-
ment) would lead to better implementation
of biodiversity targets?
•
•
Yes
No
Why?
Why?
→
Link to Session 5
digital questionnaire
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Recommendation
session
What is your most important
recommendation to policymakers?
•
Write a recommendation in your own words
→
Link to Recommendation session
digital questionnaire
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Annex question
Evaluation session
Were the briefing materials balanced and
informative?
•
•
•
•
•
Yes, very much so
Yes
No
Not at all
Comments?
Do you believe that the workshop results will
be used in a meaningful way in political deci-
sion-making on the issue of biodiversity?
•
•
•
•
•
Yes, I have strong confidence in this
Yes
No
Not at all
Recommendations?
Were different and opposing views presented
and discussed at your table?
•
•
•
•
•
Yes, very much so
Yes
No
Not at all
Comments?
Would you like to be involved in processes like
this one again in the future?
•
•
•
•
Not at all, it’s a waste of time
Maybe
Absolutely!
Suggestions?
Are you generally satisfied with the
organisation of the biodiversity workshop?
•
•
•
•
•
Yes, very much
Yes
No
Not at all
Suggestions?
→
Link to Annex question
digital questionnaire
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Nordic Co-operation
Nordens Hus
Ved Stranden 18
DK-1061 Copenhagen K
www.norden.org
Together Towards a Global Deal for Nature and People - Involving young
people in setting targets for biodiversity, ecosystems and sustainable use
All over the world, young people are demanding action to protect our planet. In
2020 a new global deal for nature and people will be adopted, setting targets for
the protection and conservation of the planet’s biodiversity and ecosystems. It is
of crucial importance that the voices of young people are heard when these new
targets are set, as this will affect not only the present generation, but also future
generations and their livelihoods.
In the Nordic Region we want to make sure that the voices of the young people will
be heard and therefore we have developed this toolkit for involving young people
in setting new targets for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity and
ecosystems, thereby securing a new global deal for nature and people! The toolkit
is made available to young people and those who want to engage young people in
the development of a new global deal for nature and people. Anyone who wishes
to arrange, facilitate and engage in youth consultations is invited to use the
toolkit. The results can be communicated to decision-makers, the public and other
relevant institutions and will be part of a bigger movement of youth around the
world.
The aim is to support young people, youth organisations and other interested
groups in their facilitation of discussions on key issues relating to a new deal for
nature and people, and to ensure the credibility of the results from the youth
workshop.
The Toolkit has been developed in close corporation with the Nordic Council and
the Nordic Council of Ministers, in close corporation with young people from the
Nordic countries.
Besides the Toolkit a Manual is made available for those who needs support
in organizing workshops and consultations. The Manual is intended to provide
information to organisers of youth workshops and participation, and to guide
them in their preparation of the workshops. It is a flexible and voluntary manual
which can be used in accordance with context-specific considerations.
Manual: for organizing youth consultations
Together towards a global deal for nature and people
– click on this link