The World Summit on Sustainable Development WSSD in Johannesburg 26 August - 4 September

Where will biodiversity be in the Summit?

Biodiversity per se does not figure prominently in the papers prepared for WSSD. It appears among the Proposed Elements for the Political Declaration among Specific Programme Priorities: poverty eradication, changing unsustainable consumption and production patterns, water and sanitation, energy, health and biodiversity.

However, biodiversity protection and wise use is the fundament under the sustainable use of ecosystems and natural resources. In the Draft Plan of Implementation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (advance unedited text 12 June 2002) from the Preparatory Committee meeting in Bali (27 May – 7 June), biodiversity has its full place. In 20 points (paragraph 42, a-t) the basic issues of the Convention on Biological Diversity (from 1992 in Rio) are suggested brought forward towards more collaboration and funding synergies and more sustainable use of ecosystems and biodiversity resources. A goal to be discussed is suggested: to achieve a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

EU and the World summit on Sustainable Development

The EU agenda for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Brussels, 1 July 2002) contains the following paragraph:‘To halt and reverse by 2015 the current loss of natural resources/biodiversity and to manage natural resources in a sustainable and integrated manner. This clear global objective should lead to incentives for local communities, in particular in developing countries, to benefit from the conservation and sustainable use of their rich variety of natural resources. The EU is in the process of reforming its fisheries policy, with the aim of reducing fleets and total catch, and calls on other countries to do the same in order to restore stocks to sustainable levels at the latest by 2015.’

This text is stronger than the target from 2001 in the EU 6^th Environmental Action Programme ‘Environment 2010. Our future, our choice’, which indicates a target for halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010.

EU Sources:

WSSD: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/wssd/index_en.html

Trade: http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/csc/pr_020702.htm

Environment Ministers Informal Meeting in Denmark

Conclusions of the Presidency

The Environment ministers from the EU Member States held an informal ministerial meeting in Denmark in July 2002. One of the main themes was a last preparation for WSSD. One of the conclusions to take to that meeting was that ‘progress in the state of the environment has not been sufficient in the areas such as climate change, biodiversity and chemicals’, and there was a common understanding that is import to ‘ensure that the Plan of Implementation sets clear targets and timetables on water and sanitation, biodiversity, natural resources, fisheries, renewable energy, chemicals and health’. And further that for ‘EU it important with a full establishment and implementation of the NATURA 2000 network, while improving biodiversity monitoring.’

Source: Danish EU Presidency website http://www.eu2002.dk/main/