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Science and technical priorities for private sector action to address biodiversity loss
Target 15 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework recognizes the importance of the private sector monitoring, assessing and disclosing biodiversity-related risks, dependencies and impacts. Many businesses and financial institutions are progressing with science-based assessments, targets and disclosures and integrating into strategy, risk management and capital allocation decisions. Developments will continue in response to investor expectations, emerging corporate sustainability reporting regulations in Europe, China and elsewhere and evolving global sustainability reporting standards. Voluntary action is also being encouraged by the disclosure recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and the target-setting methods of the Science Based Targets Network. Based on experience supporting the private sector in practice, we identify four critical science and technical advances needed to enable business action at scale and to redirect finance globally to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. First, consensus on indicators and metrics for measuring changes in the state of nature and provision of ecosystem services. Second, access to global, regularly updated, location-specific and consistent nature data. Third, standardized and consistent accounting systems that structure data, support risk management and create accountability at corporate, ecosystem and national levels. Fourth, integrated risk assessment approaches to help corporates, financial institutions, central banks and supervisors to assess nature-related risks.
This article is part of the discussion meeting issue ‘Bending the curve towards nature recovery: building on Georgina Mace’s legacy for a biodiverse future’.
General guidelines for surveillance of diseases, pathogens and toxic agents in free-ranging wildlife : first edition
This document provides broad guidance on surveillance of infectious and non-infectious wildlife diseases, pathogens and toxic agents to assist in the implementation of a national surveillance programme for free-ranging wildlife. It is intended to promote a common understanding, which can serve as a foundation for training and operational procedures. While this guidance is geared to surveillance of free-ranging wildlife (whether in spaces managed by the public or private sector), much of the information is also generally applicable to (though not comprehensive for) wild animals in captive settings.
Pokyny a nástroje pro posuzování vlivů v kontextu světového dědictví
As the World Heritage Convention celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022, over 1100 sites around the world are recognized as World Heritage – places that are so valuable to humanity that there conservation has been deemed our collective responsibility. Yet many of these exceptional places face increasing pressure from diverse types of development projects within and around the sites. Assessing the impacts of such projects is essential to both prevent damage to World Heritage and identify sustainable options. This Guidance and toolkit explains the process for achieving these goals. Offering practical tips and tools including checklists and a glossary, it provides a framework for conducting impact assessments for cultural and natural heritage sites.
Agriculture and conservation (Arabic version)
In 2021, IUCN launched the IUCN Flagship Report Series, to help demonstrate the importance of conserving nature for human well-being and all life on Earth. This report, the second in the series, focuses on agriculture and nature. The interactions, synergies, and tradeoffs between the two sit at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for ending hunger and ensuring food security while also mandating the protection and restoration of nature. Whether the two can be achieved simultaneously, and if so how, are crucial questions for humanity and our planet. IUCN therefore explores the positive and negative relationships between agriculture and nature conservation and mobilises new modelling approaches to examine both imperatives within a range of realistic policies.
Wzmacnianie naszego dziedzictwa zestaw narzędzi 2.0 : ocena efektywnosci zarzadzania dobrami swiatowego dziedzictwa i innymi miejscami dziedzictwa
World Heritage properties are internationally recognized as places of Outstanding Universal Value that should benefit from the highest level of management effectiveness. The Toolkit 2.0 offers a self-assessment methodology to evaluate management effectiveness in a World Heritage property or other heritage place. It contains 12 tools that can be used separately or collectively to understand in detail what is working well and what can be done better. The Toolkit supports managers in identifying ways to improve conservation practices, management processes and resource allocation – particularly if used before reviewing or updating management plans. While there is a focus on World Heritage, it can be applied to all heritage places, whether natural, cultural or combinations of both.
Global Species Action Plan (Arabic version)
The Global Species Action Plan (GSAP) is a critical initiative developed to support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), to address the increasing biodiversity loss worldwide. The GSAP outlines strategic interventions and actions to conserve and sustainably manage species while ensuring equitable benefits. Emphasizing the critical role of species in ecosystem stability, human livelihoods, and cultural heritage, the GSAP seeks to prevent extinctions, reduce threats, and ensure equitable benefits from species use. Implementation involves diverse stakeholders, including governments, Indigenous peoples and Local communities, NGOs, academia, and businesses, fostering cooperation at global, regional, and local levels. The GSAP underscores the collective responsibility to safeguard Earth’s rich biological heritage for future generations.
Unselective, unsustainable, and unmonitored trawl fisheries?
In 2016, the term UUU (unselective, unsustainable and unmonitored) fishing was developed and a Resolution of the World Conservation Congress, adopted by Members, tasked IUCN’s Species Survival Commission with reporting on the concept. The resulting situation analysis utilises the trawl fisheries of China, Thailand and Vietnam to explore how some of the issues associated with UUU fishing can be linked back to these three elements. The report found considerable variation in each component of UUU across the case study countries but that uncontrolled fishery development resulting in excess fishing capacity is commonly a root cause, leaving long standing impacts which have proven very challenging to solve. Whilst the report does not provide recommendations for action, it does identify 14 areas where further work would help accelerate progress on sustainable use, the protection of species of conservation concern and help safeguard the marine ecosystem.
Инструмент для локального выявления прочих эффективных зональных природоохранных мер (ОЕСМ) : Первое издание
Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are sites outside protected areas that deliver effective and long-term in situ conservation of biodiversity. Biodiversity conservation may be the primary objective of the site, a secondary objective of a site that is managed for other purposes, or it may be an unintended consequence of the way the site is managed. OECMs may be governed and managed by governments, private entities or Indigenous peoples and local communities, or a combination of these. This tool guides an assessor through three steps to apply eight criteria which determine if a site qualifies as an OECM as set out under the Convention on Biological Diversity. For sites which do not currently meet all the criteria, the tool serves to highlight areas where further information or improvements in governance and management are required.
Monitoring biodiversity after oil spill remediation in the Niger Delta
The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is facing severe environmental challenges due to widespread oil extraction activities, resulting in recurring oil spills and adverse effects on biodiversity, ecosystem services and livelihoods. This report documents the implementation of protocols of the IUCN Niger Delta Biodiversity Technical Advisory Group (BTAG) on two impacted sites at Adibawa Well 8 S/L wellhead in Joinkrama, Rivers State, and Adibawa North-East 1 wellhead in Tien Biseni, Bayelsa State, both located in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. The innovative approach of BTAG integrates eDNA analysis with traditional field sampling to enhance the monitoring strategies, offering a more comprehensive understanding of ecological recovery.
Utilisation des outils d’évaluation IMET et SAPA pour identifier les priorités d’interventions dans la Réserve de la Bouche du Roy
La réserve de Biosphère de la Bouche du Roy est créée en 2017 pour protéger les écosystèmes de mangroves et côtiers situés dans le site RAMSAR 1017 au Bénin et se compose de plusieur sites dont celui de la Bouche du Roy. Elle abrite une population humaine de plus de 25.000 habitants qui dépendent en grande majorité de l’exploitation des ressources naturelles pour leur survie. La réussite des actions de conservation représente donc un vrai défi. Nous avons donc initié l’évaluation de l’efficacité de gestion et celle des impacts sociaux en vue d’apprécier les grands impacts sur la biodiversité et sur le bien être des communautés locales au niveau du site Bouche du Roy. Ces évaluations réalisées avec le soutien du fonds d’action du BIOPAMA ont montré le gap existant en matière de suivi de la biodiversité, de personnel technique, de ressources financières et d’actions de développement local. Partant de ces insuffisances, un plan d’action prioritaire a été élaboré pour réduire les gap identifiés tout en confortant les acquis.
Mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development
Achieving a climate-resilient future requires rapid, sustained and far-reaching transformations in energy, land-use, infrastructure and industrial systems. Large-scale expansion of renewable energy can play a critical role in meeting the world’s growing energy demands and in the fight against climate change. However, even ‘clean’ energy sources can have significant unintended impacts on the environment. The guidelines aim to provide practical support for solar and wind energy developments by effectively managing risks and improving overall outcomes related to biodiversity and ecosystem services. They are industry-focused and can be applied across the whole project development life cycle, from early planning through to decommissioning and repowering, using the mitigation hierarchy as a clear framework for planning and implementation. The mitigation hierarchy is applied to direct, indirect and cumulative impacts. The catalogue of resources relevant to mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development (Annex 1 of the publication) is available as a separate, downloadable, spreadsheet.