BIODIVERSITY is threatened by many human activities,and its loss has significant consequences for our planet.The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has set, in2002, the ambitious target of reducing the rate ofbiodiversity loss by 2010. A number of indicators werecreated to assess progress towards meeting that target.Can the 2010 Biodiversity Target be reached? What actionswould be needed?

Biodiversity: A Global OutlookA Summary of CBD's Global Biodiversity Outlook 2

A summary by:

In partnership with:

Biodiversity reflects the number, variety, and variability of living organisms, as well as how these changefrom one location to another and over time. It includes diversity within species, between species, andamong ecosystems, in sum the diversity of all life on Earth.

Ecosystems provide the basic necessities of life such as food, clean air and water. They offer protectionfrom natural disasters and diseases, shape human cultures and spiritual beliefs, and maintain the planet’sessential life processes. Biodiversity loss affects ecosystems, making them more vulnerable toperturbations and less able to supply humans with valuable services.

The impact of humans on the natural environment is significant and growing: changes in biodiversity havebeen more rapid in the past 50 years than at any time before in human history.

The indicators were established to monitor the status and trends of biological diversity, and to provideinformation on ways to improve the effectiveness of biodiversity policies and management programmes.These indicators cover seven focal areas which include reducing the rate of biodiversity loss, addressing itsmajor threats, promoting its sustainable use, and maintaining ecosystem health.

While we still lack comprehensive global scale measures to assess progress towards the 2010 target, it ispossible to describe trends in the status of biodiversity using these indicators. Taken together, they allowus to establish current trends regarding some important aspects of biodiversity, particularly when they areanalysed and interpreted as a set.

What is the role of biodiversity indicators?

The first focal area of the 2010 framework concernsthe reduction of the rate of loss of biodiversity atecosystem, species, and genetic levels.

Over the last 50 years, humans have changedecosystems more rapidly and extensively thanin any comparable period of time in humanhistory. For example, the conversion of forestsfor agriculture and pasture continues at analarmingly high rate. Similar negative trendshave been observed for other ecosystems suchas grasslands, savannas, deserts, andfreshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems.

The abundance and distribution of selectedspecies are an indicator of ecosystem quality.Several assessments have revealed that the

population size and/or geographic range of themajority of species assessed is declining.Exceptions include domestic species, invasivespecies, and species that have been protectedthrough specific measures.

Over the past few hundred years, it is estimatedthat humans are responsible for up to athousand times more extinctions than the naturalrate. According to the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species, up to one out of two specieswithin well-studied groups such as amphibians,birds or mammals is threatened with extinction,and the situation is deteriorating.

The genetic diversity of cultivated anddomesticated species is of great importance

from a human perspective, since it results inbetter adaptability of species to changingconditions. It is estimated that one third of alldomesticated animal breeds are presentlythreatened with extinction. For non-cultivatedspecies, genetic diversity is threatened mainlyby overexploitation, as well as habitatdestruction and fragmentation.

Protected areas are crucial to countering thecontinuing loss of ecosystems and species.They currently cover about one eighth of theEarth’s land surface, but only a small fraction ofmarine and coastal areas. However, there aresubstantial differences in coverage amongecological regions, and many types ofecosystems are almost not protected at all.

At what pace is biodiversity lost?

Why is biodiversity loss a concern?

© D

anie

le S

ange

rman

i

© D

anie

le S

ange

rman

i

What are the Convention on Biological Diversity and its 2010 Biodiversity Target?

Deep concern over the rapid loss of biodiversity and the recognition of itsimportant role in supporting human life led to the adoption, in 1992, ofthe Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The objectives of thislegally-binding global treaty are the conservation and sustainable use ofbiodiversity, as well as a fair sharing of the benefits of the utilization ofgenetic resources.

In 2002, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention agreed “toachieve, by 2010, a significant reduction of the current rate ofbiodiversity loss”. To assess progress towards that target, it adopted aframework to guide action and identified indicators to assess the statusand trends of biodiversity.

The sustainability of human use of biodiversity is the fourth focal area in the 2010framework. Possible indicators could be the proportion of ecosystems undersustainable management or being certified as meeting certain criteria forsustainability.

The ecological footprint is a concept that calculates the area of land and waterneeded to sustain a defined human population, based on the population’s use ofenergy, food, water, building material and other consumables. In 1961 humanity wasglobally using about half of the Earth’s capacity to renew its natural resources. Nowthis capacity is exceeded, and overuse is still growing.

To what extent are ecosystems used sustainably?

Are ecosystems healthy enough to provide resources and essential services?

The second focal area concerns the maintenance of the integrity ofecosystems and their ability to support human livelihoods.

Intense fishing has led to the decline of many species, notably cod and tuna.In the North Atlantic, the populations of large fish have declined by two-thirds in the last 50 years. The preferred fish for human consumption arebecoming increasingly rare, forcing a shift to smaller fish and invertebratesand eventually reducing the overall supply for human consumption.

In many terrestrial and inland water ecosystems, human activities lead tothe fragmentation of habitats. The resulting smaller patches of habitatsupport smaller populations, which as a result become more vulnerableto local extinction. Forests and river systems both show high levels offragmentation.

The quality of inland waters has been affected by pollution, increasedsedimentation, climate change, the extraction of fresh water for agriculturaland industrial use, human consumption, and physical alterations such asthe diversion and canalization of watercourses. Since the 1980s, river waterquality has improved in Europe and the Americas but it has deterioratedover the same period in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region.

What are the main threats to biodiversity?

The third focal area concerns the five major threats to biodiversity: invasive alien species,climate change, nutrient loading and pollution, habitat change, and overexploitation.

The availability and use of fertilizers on a commercial scale contributes to the growingproductivity of agriculture. However, nitrogen and phosphorus from those fertilizers can havesevere impacts on the environment. The human production of nitrogen has increased sharplysince 1960.

Invasive alien species can have devastating impacts on native species, causing extinctionsand affecting natural and cultivated ecosystems. Some invasive alien pests or diseases canentail enormous economic costs. In the recent past, the rate and risk associated with alienspecies introductions have increased significantly, notably because of increased travel, tradeand tourism.

This text is a faithful summary, by GreenFacts, of the CBD’s Global Biodiversity Outlook 2. A web version of this summary,along with a longer, more detailed one, can be found on www.greenfacts.org/en/global-biodiversity-outlook/.

© D

eb R

inal

dis

© W

orld

Wid

e Fu

nd fo

r Nat

ure,

UNE

PW

orld

Con

serv

atio

n M

onito

ring

Cent

re, G

loba

l Foo

tprin

t Net

wor

k 20

04

Global Ecological Footprint: we are exceeding the Earth’scapacity to renew its resources

Both an analysis of current trends anddifferent plausible scenarios, indicate thatbiodiversity loss is likely to continue in theforeseeable future, and certainly beyond2010. Unprecedented additional efforts at alllevels will be needed to achieve the 2010Biodiversity Target.

It is too soon to assess progress towardsthe goals and targets set by the Convention,but prospects seem better for some targetsthan others. It is possible to achieve manyof the targets if the Convention onBiological Diversity is properlyimplemented. However, it appears veryunlikely that all the targets will be achievedglobally by 2010.

Most of the factors causing biodiversityloss—habitat change, climate change,invasive alien species, overexploitation,and pollution—are projected to remainconstant or increase in the near future.Additional actions are required to addressthese factors.

It is imperative to integrate biodiversityconcerns into economic and developmentplanning, programmes and policies and toengage the main actors in key economicsectors. More specifically, biodiversityconcerns should be integrated into the foodand agriculture sector, the energy sector,trade policies, and poverty alleviationstrategies.

Are we on track for meeting the 2010 Biodiversity Target?

The fifth focal area addresses traditionalknowledge of indigenous people and localcommunities, which provides the basis for themanagement and protection of localbiodiversity. There is great concern over thecontinuing survival of this knowledge as it isoften transmitted using indigenous languageswhich are generally spoken only by a smallnumber of people.

The fair and equitable sharing of the benefitsarising out of the utilization of geneticresources, which makes up the sixth focal

area, would provide incentives to protectbiodiversity. Some countries haveimplemented laws to control access to geneticresources. However, there is no reliable centralsource of information on national access andbenefit-sharing measures.

The seventh focal area covers the financial andtechnical resources required for theimplementation of the Convention, particularlyfor developing countries. The total aid todeveloping countries for biodiversity hasdeclined since 1998.

Translating the content of the Convention into policy and practice isextremely challenging.

Policy instruments developed by the Convention include:

� thematic programmes of work of the Convention, covering seven majorbiomes;

� programmes of work on technology transfer, protected areas andclassification of organisms (taxonomy); and

� principles and guidelines on issues relevant to all thematic areas,including biodiversity monitoring, impact assessment, incentivemeasures, and invasive alien species.

The Conference of the Parties adopted in 2002 a Strategic Plan whichencompasses four goals. Progress has been:

� reasonable towards promoting international cooperation in support ofthe Convention;

� limited towards ensuring that Parties have improved capacity toimplement the Convention;

� far from sufficient regarding planning and implementing, at nationallevel, actions to achieve the objectives of the Convention; and

� mixed towards achieving a better understanding of the importance ofbiodiversity and of the Convention.

Are other objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity being met?

How is the Convention on Biological Diversity being implemented?

© D

anie

le S

ange

rman

i

© D

anie

le S

ange

rman

i

Much progress has been made in terms of developing policies and tools for implementing the Convention on

Biological Diversity, but implementation at national level has so far been limited. Urgent and unprecedented actions

are needed to achieve the 2010 Biodiversity Target.

In order to meet the 2010 target, the Parties to the Convention should develop and ensure the implementation of

comprehensive national biodiversity strategies and action plans, promote greater awareness of the importance of

biodiversity, and integrate biodiversity concerns into national policies, programmes and strategies on trade,

agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and development planning .

Meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention offer the opportunity to agree upon necessary actions

for addressing threats to biodiversity. Meeting the objectives of the Convention requires concerted action from all

nations of the world. Therefore, all countries should adhere to the Convention since it is critical to sustain life on

Earth.

As individuals, we all have an essential part to play in promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. We

can demand action from all levels of government. Moreover, in our everyday choices, we all can have direct positive

impacts on biodiversity and the state of our planet’s ecosystems, for instance by supporting sustainable

consumption and waste reduction.

Corporations should also assume responsibility for the environmental impacts of their activities and choose

suppliers that adopt sustainable practices.

Alien species – An alien species is a speciesintroduced outside its normal distribution.Invasive alien species are alien specieswhose establishment and spread modifyecosystems, habitats, or species.

Biodiversity – Biodiversity is a contraction ofbiological diversity. Biodiversity reflectsthe number, variety, and variability ofliving organisms. It includes diversitywithin species (genetic diversity), betweenspecies (species diversity), and betweenecosystems (ecosystem diversity).

Climate change – Defined by the UnitedNations Convention on Climate Change as“change of climate which is attributeddirectly or indirectly to human activity thatalters the composition of the global

atmosphere and which is in addition tonatural climate variability observed overcomparable time periods”.

Ecosystem – An ecological unit made up of acomplex system of interactions betweenliving communities (plants, animals, fungi,and microorganisms) and the environmentthey live in. Ecosystems have no fixedboundaries; a single lake, a watershed, oran entire region could be considered anecosystem.

Habitat change – Change in the localenvironmental conditions in which aparticular organism lives. Habitat changecan occur naturally through droughts,disease, fire, hurricanes, mudslides,volcanoes, earthquakes, slight increases

or decreases in seasonal temperature orprecipitation, etc. However, it is generallyinduced by human activities such as landuse change and physical modification ofrivers or water withdrawal from rivers.

Species – A group of organisms that differfrom all other groups of organisms andthat are capable of breeding andproducing fertile offspring. This is thesmallest unit of classification for plantsand animals.

Sustainability – A characteristic or statewhereby the needs of the present andlocal population can be met withoutcompromising the ability of futuregenerations or populations in otherlocations to meet their needs.

Conclusion: What actions are needed?

GLOSSARY GLOSSARY GLOSSARY GLOSSARY GLOSSARY GLOSSARY GLOSSARY GLOSSARY

Facts on this publication

Edit

eur

resp

onsa

ble:

Pat

rick

G. P

oty,

Gre

enFa

cts

asbl

/vzw

, Rue

des

Pal

ais

44 P

alei

zens

traa

t, 1

030

Bru

ssel

s, B

elgi

um –

Reg

iste

red

offic

e: 1

63 B

ld R

eyer

slaa

n, 1

030

Bru

ssel

s■

Conc

ept

& la

yout

: beë

lzeP

ub■

Prin

ted

on 1

00%

rec

ycle

d pa

per

This publication presents a faithful summary by GreenFacts of the “Global Biodiversity Outlook 2”, by the Convention on BiologicalDiversity (CBD), a leading scientific report on the topic.

The “Global Biodiversity Outlook 2” assesses the current status and trends of biodiversity and the key drivers of biodiversity loss. Itprovides a powerful case for the importance of biodiversity to human well-being. The report contains a succinct overview of the status ofthe implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, progress towards the 2010 Biodiversity Target and its contribution to theachievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals. As 2010 approaches, the document identifies key actions required at all levels toachieve the 2010 target.

This summary, along with a more detailed one, can be found onwww.greenfacts.org/en/global-biodiversity-outlook/

GreenFacts is an independent non-profit organization that publishes faithful online summaries of scientificconsensus documents produced by international bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment or the World Health Organization. All GreenFacts summaries are peer-reviewed by independent experts.www.greenfacts.org | 2007@greenfacts.org | Tel: +32 (0)2 211 34 88

Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on Biological Diversity is dedicatedto promoting sustainable development. Its three main goals are : the conservation of biological diversity, thesustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.www.cbd.int | secretariat@cbd.int | Tel: +1 514 288 2220

This publication was produced by:

In Partnership with :

Published with the support of:

Printed with the support of:

Distributed with the support of:

Texts © GreenFacts asbl/vzw – reproduction welcome; please contact GreenFacts for conditions.Cover picture: João Burini

BRUSSELS-EU CHAPTER COR-EU