Presentation Dr Thomas Koetz - European External Action ...eeas.europa.eu/.../presentation_dr_thomas_koetz.pdf · EU-India Environment Forum Sustainable Forestry and Biodiversity

Dr. Thomas Koetz / European Commission / DG Environment / Biodiversity

Biodiversity

Our Life Insurance

Our Natural Capital

EU-India Environment ForumSustainable Forestry and BiodiversityNew Delhi, 21 Nov 2012

The European Union’s Biodiversity Strategy to 2020

2050 VISION

European Union biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides – its natural capital – are

protected, valued and appropriately restored for biodiversity’s intrinsic value and for their essential contribution to human wellbeing and economic

prosperity, and so that catastrophic changes caused by the loss of biodiversity are avoided

Target 1: Nature Conservation

Objective: Marked improvement in conservation status of habitats and species covered by EU nature legislation by:

•doubling the number of positive habitat assessments

•achieving a 50% improvement in species assessments

Target 2: Ecosystem restoration & Green Infrastructure

Objective: Maintain and enhance ecosystems and their services within and beyond protected areas by:

•restoring at least 15% of degraded ecosystems

•establishing ‘Green Infrastructure’throughout the EU

Target 3: ‘Green’ agriculture and forestry in the EU

Objective: Maximise agricultural and forested areas covered by biodiversity-related measures i.a. by:

•Rewarding farmers who practice biodiversity-friendly agriculture and/or adopt agri-environmental measures (e.g. permanent pasture, green cover, crop rotation, ecological set-aside, etc)

•Encouraging the adoption of Forest Management Plans that include biodiversity-specific measures

Target 4: Make fishing sustainable

Objective: Objective: Achieve Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) by 2015 and good environmental status of Europe’s seas by 2020 by i.a.:

•improving the management of fish stocks

•eliminating adverse impacts on non-targeted species and marine ecosystems (discards, by-catch)

Target 5: Invasive Alien Species

Objective: Prevent, control, eradicate IAS and their pathways by:

•developing and implementing EU-level legislation on IAS

•including IAS aspects in other relevant legislation

Target 6: Global biodiversity

Objective: Step up the EU’s contribution to averting global biodiversity loss i.a. by:

•mobilising resources for global biodiversity

•‘biodiversity-proofing’ EU development cooperation

•implementing the Nagoya Protocol on ABS

•reducing indirect drivers of biodiversity loss

Target 6/Action 18a : Mobilise additional resources for global biodiversity

European Union (EC + Member States)

• 1.7 Bln € (2.2 Bln USD) each yearfor biodiversity related assistance,

• Largest contributor to biodiversityfinance with 53% of the total biodiversity international flows

• EU Biodiversity assistance increased by 130% from 2006 to 2010

Mln €

EC’s biodiversity commitments per year

EC’s biodiversitycommitments per sector

EC’s biodiversitycommitments per region

Target 6 / Action 18b and 19 :Improving effectiveness of biodiversity funding and ‘Biodiversity proof’ EU development cooperation

EC will continue to systematically screen its development cooperation to minimise any negative impact on biodiversity

-Mainstreaming guidelines, staff trainings

-Project environmental screening

-Strategic Environmental Assessments, Environmental impact assessments

‘Biodiversity Proofing’ of EU Development Cooperation

inter alia by :

-Supporting development/updating of NBSAPs

-Supporting natural capital assessments in recipient countries

- TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) – National Implementation

- Integration of biodiversity in budgets and development plans, UNDP – 8 pilot countries

- WAVES (Wealth of Ecosystem Services program), World Bank – include the value of natural capital in accounting indicators

Improving effectiveness of EU biodiversity funding

Target 6 / Action 20 : Regulate access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of resources arising from their use

Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol

Target 6/Action 20:

The EC will propose legislation to implement the Nagoya Protocol in the European Union so that the EU can ratify the Protocol as soon as possible and by 2015 at the latest, as required by the global target.

Beginning of October 2012 the EC tabled such a proposal …

Target 6 / Action 17 :Reduce indirect drivers of biodiversity loss

Reduce indirect drivers of biodiversity loss

The EU takes measures to reduce the biodiversity impacts of EU consumption patterns

-Support for Global and Regional Implementation of 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (adopted by Rio+20)

-Support to UNEP’s work on International principles for product sustainability information tools

Reduce indirect drivers of biodiversity loss

The EU takes measures to reduce the biodiversity impacts of EU consumption patterns

-Study on impacts of EU consumption of food and non-food imports on deforestation (finishes 2013)

-Study on Identification and mitigation of the negative impacts of EU demand for a range of commodities on biodiversity in third countries (begins 2013)

Reduce indirect drivers of biodiversity loss

The EC will enhance the contribution of trade policy to conserving biodiversity and address potential negative impacts

-EU funded UNEP study on Green Economy and Trade - Assessing Risks and Opportunities

-FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade): measures to exclude illegal timber from markets, to improve the supply of legal timber and to increase the demand for responsible wood products

Reduce indirect drivers of biodiversity loss

The EU works to provide right market signals for biodiversity conservation, including work to reform, phase out and eliminate harmful subsidies and provide positive incentives for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use

-Recent EC legislative proposal addressing Indirect Land-Use Changes (including through biofuels)

-Support to UNEP project stimulating the demand and supply of sustainable products through Sustainable Public Procurement and Eco-labeling (2012-2015)

Biodiversity : Lifestyles or Livelihoods ?

Biodiversity : our Life Insurance – our Natural Capital

Thank you very much for your attention

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