Convention on Biological Diversity

In the House of Commons, a minister has delivered a statement addressing the critical issue of biodiversity and the need for urgent action to protect the natural world. The minister began by welcoming the new Deputy Speaker and the return of the Member for Coventry East, Mary Creagh, to her role as the Minister for nature. The minister praised Creagh's distinguished tenure as the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee and expressed enthusiasm for supporting her and the government in championing nature during this crucial decade for the natural world. The minister also highlighted Creagh's participation in the recent meeting of the international conservation caucus, where her enthusiasm and commitment to the environmental agenda were an inspiration to the attendees. The minister then delved into the core of the statement, emphasizing that nature is the foundation of everything we have and value, yet it is often treated as a subset of the economic world. The minister argued that the opposite is true, as the economic world is a subset of the natural world, and the services provided by nature are often taken for granted and not properly accounted for. The minister then traced the history of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which was established over 40 years ago, and expressed disappointment that the world has not made the necessary progress to halt the alarming decline in biodiversity. The minister praised the Canadian government for hosting COP15 and establishing the Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets important goals and targets to address this crisis. However, the minister cautioned that talk is cheap, and the real challenge lies in implementing and enforcing these targets. The minister highlighted the importance of each country having a robust National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to deliver on the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework. The minister expressed concern that the UK government's initial draft NBSAP was merely a restatement of existing actions, rather than the urgent and transformative plan required to address the pressing environmental challenges. The minister expressed hope that the change in government would provide an opportunity to radically revise the NBSAP to meet the ambitious targets set by the Global Biodiversity Framework. Overall, the minister's statement underscored the critical importance of protecting and restoring the natural world, and the urgent need for governments to take decisive action to safeguard the planet's biodiversity and ecosystem services for the benefit of all.