Local Action for Biodiversity (ICLEI World Congress 2009)

Local Action for Biodiversity Cementing the IUCN and ICLEI partnership George Greene, Councillor IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature

Biodiversity =
Species,
Genes and
Ecosystems
Life on Earth

Level of Biodiversity in the World in 2000 Using Mean Species Abundance (MSA) indicator Remaining MSA in % Source: Ben ten Brink (MNP) presentation at the Workshop: The Economics of the Global Loss of Biological Diversity 5-6 March 2008, Brussels, Belgium.

Source: Ben ten Brink (MNP) presentation at the Workshop: The Economics of the Global Loss of Biological Diversity 5-6 March 2008, Brussels, Belgium. Level of Biodiversity in the World in 2050 One Scenario of the future : OECD/Globio Remaining MSA in %

The 2010 Biodiversity Target
“ to achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth ”
Decision VI/26 CBD Strategic Plan 2002

A RAPIDLY URBANISING WORLD
1950: 30% people living in cities
2007: 50% people living in cities
Separation of people from nature
Cities cover 3% of global surface,…
… but consume 95% of global resources

WHY DOES LOCAL ACTION MATTER FOR BIODIVERSITY?
Local governments manage large areas of land and biodiversity resources. They plan, make decisions, develop and control infrastructure and housing. These actions can threaten biodiversity or can contribute to its conservation through better informed decisions, better policies and better management practices.
Local areas are very dependent on natural resources and biodiversity outside their boundaries, including in adjacent rural areas and around the globe. Through several tools, local governments can mitigate their impact and reduce their dependency on natural resources (e.g public procurement).
Voters and political institutions at the local level have the potential to be a great voice and force for biodiversity conservation, if we can increase understanding of the key issues and change behaviours .

BUT…
While we are now starting to see some excellent cases of effective action at the local level
Many local governments are only starting with local biodiversity action plans, and it is still a new field
This is why a cooperation between ICLEI and IUCN in this area can build on our strengths to move forward on local action for biodiversity

CEMENTING ICLEI-IUCN PARTNERSHIP
Where do we come from?
Where are we going?

MISSION
To influence, encourage and assist societies
throughout the world to conserve the integrity and
diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural
resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable

PROGRAMME

AT A GLANCE
A unique democratic union of more than 1,000 member organizations
National states, government agencies and NGOs from over 160 countries
10,000 scientists in six commissions of expertise
1,000 staff in 62 offices worldwide
A neutral forum for governments, NGOs, scientists, business and local communities to find pragmatic solutions
UN Observer Status

IUCN LOCAL INITIATIVES
IUCN Cities and Protected Areas Task Force ( The Urban Imperative )
Countdown 2010 : since 2005 more than 350 local governments partners.
Countdown 2010 has been working closely with ICLEI on Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB)
Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity launched in Oct 2008 at IUCN World Conservation Congress

Local Action for Biodiversity
To guide, support , capacitate and motivate local governments and their partners from across the world to integrate biodiversity into all aspects of policy and decision making and implementation activities to result in increased and more sustainable biodiversity conservation .

ICLEI & IUCN: Building on Strengths
2006: ICLEI World Congress – LAB established
Joint design workshop in Rome: LAB methodology
Joint LAB Cities recruitment
Joint Profiling of LAB Good Practices
Joint Project Development
2007: IUCN ICLEI MoU
Matching the biodiversity know how of IUCN with ICLEI’s network
Awareness raising on the importance of biodiversity as a local issue
Sharing and disseminating good practices
3 . 2008: Launch of Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity
New international support for local action (UNEP, UNESCO, CBD, Cities and other international organisations)
ICLEI and IUCN are active drivers
IUCN mandate to strenghten its engagement with local governments

CASE STUDIES
21 Pilot City Project
Five step approach to biodiversity:
1. Assess biodiversity (biodiversity report)
2. Commit at the highest political level
3. Plan a local biodiversity startegy and action plan (LBSAP)
4. Commit to implement the LBSAP
5. Implement 5 new biodiversity initiatives
Case Study on Cape Town:
One of the three cities in the world to be a biodiversity hotspot
A UNESCO World Heritage site within a city border
Good Practice example for addressing invasive species

STRUCTURE Members Council Secretariat Commissions Steering Committees, Specialist Groups, e.g. WCPA Task force on cities and protected areas Regional & National Committees Regional Offices Headquarters Country and Project Offices Sub-regional Offices
World Commission on Protected Areas
Commission on Communication & Education
Commission on Environment, Economic and Social Policy
Commission on Environmental Law
Species Survival Commission
Commission on Ecosystem Management

BUILDING THE ICLEI- IUCN INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIP - OPTIONS
Programmatic – Possible Approaches
Extend Local Action for Biodiversity
Develop a joint program on urban biodiversity
Establish liaison units in IUCN and ICLEI
Structural - Possible Approaches
Local governments/authorities as part of IUCN structure:
Members
Associate members
Members/participants in IUCN National Committees
Global network of local authorities

BUILDING THE INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIP
IUCN Congress Resolution 2008
Including local and regional governmental authorities in the structure of the Union
Recommend to the 5th Session of the World Conservation Congress (2012) a reform to the IUCN Statutes to include local and regional authorities in the structure of the Union, as appropriate
IUCN Membership Views:
More decentralized countries supportive – local is where the action is
Federal and more centralized states have serious concerns
Implications to existing membership balance of NGO and Governments
IUCN Council with advice from its Commission on Environmental Law – developing options
Will consult with ICLEI

HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED?
Find out more about IUCN www.iucn.org
Become a partner of Countdown 2010 www.countdown2010.net
Join LAB www.iclei.org/lab

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Local Action for Biodiversity (ICLEI World Congress 2009)

by ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability

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