Scottish Seabird Centre

The 15th meeting of the global Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – concluded on the 19 December 2022 in Montreal, Canada with a significant agreement to tackle the urgent nature loss crisis. 196 signatories to the Convention reached an agreement on a new Global Biodiversity Framework that is intended to reduce and halt biodiversity loss by 2030.

Susan Davies, CEO of the Scottish Seabird Centre welcomed the new global agreement saying:

“The Kumning-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is a significant step towards becoming a nature-positive world where people benefit from land, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems that are effectively protected and sustainably managed.

“The Agreement sets out to galvanise action to tackle the global drivers of biodiversity loss - changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of natural resources; climate change; pollution; and invasive alien species. These threats all put pressure on Scotland’s important marine habitats and wildlife, including Scotland’s internationally important seabird populations, many of which are in steep decline.”

“Delivering the actions, finance, capacity and skills required to halt the loss of nature will require action at all levels from national Government to local communities. We will continue to play our part by providing opportunities for people to connect with, be inspired by and supported to act for nature.”

The Kumning-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework establishes 4 goals and 23 targets that include commitments for marine ecosystems, habitats and wildlife including:

Ecosystems: Manage and restore 30% degraded ecosystems globally (land, freshwater, coast and sea) by 2030.
Areas: Protect, manage and connect 30% areas (terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine) by 2030 through site and area-based conservation measures.
Extinctions: Halt human induced extinctions of known threatened species and by 2050 reduce tenfold the extinction risk and rate of all species.
Sustainable use: Prevent over-exploitation by ensuring an ecosystem-based approach is taken to the use, harvesting and trade of wild species to bring social, economic and environmental benefits to people.
Invasives: Reduce the rate of introduction and establishment of invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030 and eradicate or control invasive alien species in priority sites, such as islands.
Pollution: Reduce pollution risks (including nutrients, pesticides chemicals and plastics) and impacts from all sources by 2030 to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystem functions.
Nature-based solutions: Minimise the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity through nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches.
Mainstreaming: ensure the full integration of biodiversity into policies, regulation, planning and development processes and into national accounting.

The framework also has a clear focus on addressing over-consumption and promoting sustainable consumption patterns which requires a circular economy approach. It sets out to mobilise through the Global Environment Facility significant additional funding to help developing countries respond to the nature loss challenges.

ENDS

For further press information contact: Jess Thompson, Marketing Manager, email marketing@seabird.org, tel: +44(0)1620 890202