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Biodiversity Conventions & Framework
December 18, 2022 Canada committed that by 2030 it would ‘ensure and enable’ protection of at least 30 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and of coastal and marine areas. Shortly after that the Premier of British Columbia provided the Minister of Water, Land And Resource Stewardship (Fisheries) with a mandate to implement the target. Implementation of the target will be difficult and complex, if it is accomplished.
UN Convention on Biodiversity
The UN Convention on Biodiversity was completed in 1992. Canada ratified the Convention the same year stating: “”In 1992, Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, as did many other countries. This convention is necessary because the present rate of loss of biological diversity, or “biodiversity,” is a serious global environmental threat.” (Biodiversity, pg 2)
The Convention and recently updated framework represent the combined wisdom of an international community of ecologists on the steps that need to be taken to manage the extinction epidemic and maintain the essential ecological services needed by humans.
Key provisions of the Convention are extracted as follows:
- The objectives of this Convention, are the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components.
Each Party shall:
6.(a) Develop national strategies, plans or programs for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity
8(a) Establish a system of protected areas or areas where special measures need to be taken to conserve biological diversity:
View the complete Text of the Convention.
While Canada has signed onto the convention, the Province of British Columbia has not adopted the Convention. The premier is working towards the adoption of some of the targets of the convention, particularly, the protection of 30% of terrestrial and inland water, and of coastal and marine areas.
December 18, 2022 : The convention of the signatories to the Convention adopted an updated framework (2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) for the implementation of the Convention. Key provisions of the framework are extracted as follows:
pg. 5 #5: The framework is action- and results-oriented and aims to guide and promote, at all levels, the revision, development, updating, and implementation of policies, goals, targets, and national biodiversity strategies and actions plans, and to facilitate the monitoring and review of progress at all levels in a more transparent and responsible manner.
pg. 6 #7: The framework’s implementation must ensure that the rights, knowledge, including traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity, innovations, worldviews, values and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities are respected …
Section E. Theory of change
- The framework is built around a theory of change which recognizes that urgent policy action is required globally, regionally and nationally to achieve sustainable development so that the drivers of undesirable change will be reduced and/or reversed.
Targets
Target 1: Planning
…to bring the loss of areas of high biodiversity importance, close to zero by 2030.
Target 2: Restoration – 30%
Ensure that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of areas of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine ecosystems are under effective restoration.
Target 3: Protection – 30%
Ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, recognizing indigenous and traditional territories, where applicable, and integrated into wider landscapes, seascapes and the ocean, while ensuring that any sustainable use, where appropriate in such areas, is fully consistent with conservation outcomes, recognizing and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including over their traditional territories.
Target 4: Management
Ensure urgent management actions to halt human induced extinction of known threatened species.
Target 5: Harvesting – Exploitation
Ensure that the use, harvesting and trade of wild species is sustainable.
Target 6: Invasive Species
Eliminate, minimize, reduce and or mitigate the impacts of invasive alien species …by at least 50 per cent by 2030.
Target 7: Pollution
Reduce pollution risks and the negative impact of pollution from all sources by 2030, to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services.
Target 8: Climate Change
Minimize the impact of climate change and ocean acidification.
View the full text of the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
