Webinars
The CBD Secretariat has organized a series of virtual events to promote the sharing of information and capacity building in the lead up to COP15. These sessions provide a space for knowledge sharing, networking, and raising ambitions in implementing the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. We thank the many partners that supported and co-hosted some of these sessions.
Towards a resilient recovery for All: Transforming Lifestyles and Consumption for wellbeing and life on land
14 July 2022
This event looks at how needed changes to our consumption patterns and how we live are fundamental to wellbeing and sustainable use of natural resources, while having a profound positive impact on global ambitions for life on land and below water (SDG 14 and 15) and other SDGs.
ORGANIZING PARTNERS: UNEP, UNEP 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Secretariat and the UNEP International Resource Panel
Speakers
- Ms. Leila Benali, President of UNEA and Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of Morocco
- H.E. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning and development of Pakistan
- H.E. Mr. Arnoldo André-Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica
- Mr. Daniel Perell, Representative to the United Nations of the Baha'i International Community
- Ms. Jihyun Lee, Director of Science, Society and Sustainable Futures Division (SSSF), Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
- Mr. Melchiade Bukuru, Chief of the Liaison Office of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
- Moderator: Jorge Laguna-Celis, Head of the 10 YFP Secretariat
Watch the recording:
Nature Positive Trade for sustainable development
13 July 2022
This webinar provided updates on the discussions on trade and biodiversity in the context of the GBF 2030 and the WTO, including the outcomes of the 4th Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the GBF 2030 and 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12), both taking place in June. Building on these updates, it explored opportunities and possible next steps for forging a comprehensive and mutually supportive vision for trade, biodiversity, and sustainable development towards 2030. Taking place alongside the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development (5 – 15 July), the webinar was a timely occasion to reflect these opportunities and next steps in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, especially with life under water and on land (SDGs 14 and 15) being part of the in-depth review for implementation in 2022.
This online discussion is a part of the webinar series on “Biodiversity and Trade” by UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Global BioTrade Initiative and International Trade Centre (ITC), co-organised by UNCTAD, ITC, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), WTO, and Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS).
Speakers
- Bianca Brasil, Program Manager on Business Engagement, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
- Daniel Ramos, Legal Officer, Trade & Environment Division, World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Maria Daniela Garcia Freire, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the WTO
- Claude Fromageot, Sustainable Development Director, Yves Rocher Foundation
- Marianne Kettunen, Senior Policy Advisor and Head of Partnerships, Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS)
- Moderator: Beatriz Fernandez, Associate Programme Management Officer, Environment and Trade Hub, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Watch the recording:
One Planet Network Forum 2022 - LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND: What Does It Take to Scale Up Sustainable Consumption and Production?
01 June 2022
This session took place during the One Planet Network Forum at the margins of the Stockholm + 50 meeting and was co-led by the One Planet Network and the Partnership for Action on the Green Economy (PAGE). The main focus was on assessing specific opportunities available for countries to embed Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in their development strategies. It addressed three angles, the UN system-wide perspectives, the global normative processes (brought by the MEA’s), and country perspectives.It highlighted lessons learnt from a decade of implementation of the Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP) and operational experience delivered by PAGE that have changed the way we think, act and inspire about sustainable consumption and production, so that post-pandemic recovery trajectories leave no one behind, deliver on global sustainability ambitions, and bring us on track to 2030. Furthermore, it will focus on the importance of cooperation between key stakeholders, but especially across the UN system to facilitate SCP and SDG12 implementation across geographies.
Speakers
- Ms. Ligia Noronha, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of UNEP, New York Office
- Mr. Dmitry Mariyasin, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
- Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
- Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director UN-Habitat
Country Representatives:
- Ms. Elba Rosa Pérez Montoya, Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment from the Republic of Cuba
- UN Resident Coordinator of Thailand, Ms. Gita Sabharwal
- UN Resident Coordinator of Egypt, Ms. Elena Atansova Panova
- UN Resident Coordinator of Georgia, Ms. Sabine Machl (virtual)
- UN Resident Coordinator of Ethiopia, Ms. Catherine Nassanga Namirembe Sozi (virtual)
Moderator:
- Mr. Steven Stone, Deputy Director Economy Division UNEP
Watch the Recording
Sustainable Use: the business plan for the planet
22 October 2021
Natural resources are essential to development and prosperity and the foundation to human wellbeing. It is estimated that half of the world’s GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services and, as a result, exposed to risks from nature loss . The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) indicated that despite progress to conserve nature and implement policies, the global goals for conserving and sustainably using nature cannot be met by current trajectories. Global goals for 2030 and beyond may only be achieved through transformative changes across economic, social, political and technological factors.
Biodiversity is an important cross-cutting issue in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs explicitly recognize the importance of halting biodiversity loss, and other Goals recognize the importance of biological diversity for eradicating poverty, providing food and fresh water, and improving life in cities. It is critical that we make progress in mainstreaming biodiversity and transforming how societies value and manage it.
Economic activities depend on biodiversity for resources such as water, food, fiber, minerals and metals and so much more. Despite numerous commitments, biodiversity loss continues to accelerate across the globe. In addition, the anticipated expansion of sectors that depend on and affect biodiversity — including agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture — will pose a significant challenge to halting biodiversity loss in the coming decades. Reversing these trends will require action by all sectors and stakeholders, policy makers, financial institutions, civil society, academia and business. Mainstreaming biodiversity will ensure that addressing development needs and protecting the environment are mutually supportive.
The session will bring representatives from companies from different sizes and sectors and highlight the role of responsible use of natural resources in supporting sustainable development. Natural resources are the basis for a prosperous society, and the responsible and legal use of those resources will ensure sustainable growth while supporting life on Earth.
Speakers
- Sebastien Duprat de Paule, Natural Ingredients Innovation & Development Director, Yves Rocher
- Lana Sutherland, CEO, Tealeaves
- Leticia Kawanami, global Sustainability Manager, Suzano
- Keyvan Macedo, Sustainability Director, Natura & Co
- Tara Mathew, Head of Sustainable Supply Chain Operations and Direct Farmer Sourcing, Jayanti Herbs & Spice
- Alexandre Capelli, Group Environment Deputy Director, LVMH
- Moderator: Julia Maria Oliva, Deputy Director, Union for Ethical Biotrade UEBT
Watch the Recording
Powering our Future: Lessons from the Energy Sector on Addressing Climate and Biodiversity
21 October 2021
Energy production relies heavily on biodiversity and ecosystem services – from oil and gas extraction to hydro, wind and solar power, biodiversity loss poses a critical risk to the sector as a whole. Energy production and use is the single biggest contributor to global warming, accounting for roughly two-thirds of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.
A sustainable future for people and the planet requires transformative change with rapid and far-reaching actions, building on ambitious emissions reductions and immediate action to revert biodiversity loss. Solving some of the strong and apparently unavoidable trade-offs between climate and biodiversity will require ambition, ingenuity and concrete action commensurate with the intertwined crises we are facing.
The energy sector has made significant progress in identifying innovative and effective ways of managing biodiversity alongside their decarbonization targets. This session will highlight some concrete examples from the energy sector where businesses have implemented innovative approaches to address both the climate and biodiversity loss as part of the same complex problem.
Speakers
- Emilio Tejedor, Head of Enviroment Innovation, Sustainability and Quality, Iberdrola
- Steven Dickinson, Vice-Chair Biodiversity Group, IPIECA
- Ivan Vera, Senior Expert Adviser, UNDESA
- Moderator: Sharon Brooks, Deputy Head of Business and Biodiversity Program, UNEP/WCMC
Watch the Recording:
The future of food: the good, the bad and the promising
20 October 2021
Our food systems are intricately connected to human and animal health, climate, and biodiversity, at the same time biodiversity is essential to food security and nutrition globally. Yet, unsustainable agricultural practices have led to dramatic biodiversity loss and are one of the main drivers of climate change with in between 20 and almost 40 per cent of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to the food system. Furthermore, biodiversity has been slowly disappearing from our diets and everywhere in the world, people are not consuming enough nutrient-rich foods missing the full range of nutrients essential to human health.
Increasing the productivity and sustainability of agriculture can reduce pressure on forests and other biodiverse ecosystems and, with the appropriate policy measures in place, allow space for increased conservation and restoration activities. It can also improve the resilience of agricultural systems, locally and globally, and contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Food-based approaches that address malnutrition, especially micronutrient deficiencies, are also needed; however, they are disconnected from current agricultural production systems.
This session will explore different strategies and innovative approaches that can support the transition of the food system to more sustainable models, reduced food waste, and increased access to fresh foods in urban environments and nutrition, including positive impacts on biodiversity and soil heath.
Speakers
- Anna-Karin Modin-Edman, Senior Sustainability Manager, Arla Foods
- Sudhanshu Sarronwala, Chief Impact Officer, Infarm
- Gabriela Burian, Head Global Partnerships and Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships, Bayer
- Olivera Medugorac, European Affairs Manager, Nestle
- Sagrario Saez Mejia, Sustainability Diretor, Heineken Spain
- Moderator: Martina Fleckenstein, Global Policy Manager Food, WWF International
Watch the recording:
Mainstreaming biodiversity across sectors: what does it really mean?
19 October 2021
Biodiversity and ecosystem services are fundamental to human health. It underpins a vast range of ecosystem services as sources of food, medicines, shelter, energy, livelihoods and economic development and contributes to the regulation of multiple ecosystem functions and processes critical to nutrition and food security, clean air, the quantity and quality of fresh water, spiritual and cultural values, climate regulation, pest and disease regulation, and disaster risk reduction.
Mainstreaming Biodiversity, ecosystem, and nature-based solutions into policies and programmes at all levels is critical. Mainstreaming opportunities need to be tailored to specific needs and circumstances of each sector but, often, win-win solutions are available. This nonetheless requires improved coordination and policy coherence across various sectors, interest groups and other stakeholders. Looking back to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and their trajectory, it has become clear that collaboration among across governments and non-state actors – in a whole of society approach - will be key to deliver the upcoming Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
Mainstreaming biodiversity is critical to help reduce the negative impacts that productive sectors, development investments, and other human activities exert on biodiversity by highlighting the contribution of biodiversity to socioeconomic development, human well-being and the planet. There are currently encouraging examples of successful collaboration among different sectors and actors that can support the implementation of the Post 2020 but scaling up these results will be central to the successful implementation.
The cooperation of business, finance and governments has never been so urgent or timely. There is growing momentum among the business community reflected in recent high-level discussions such as the UN Food Systems Summit, SDGs High Level Political Forum, IUCN World Conservation Congress, Davos, to name a few.
In the coming months, policy makers will intensify discussions in view of the COPs on climate and biodiversity, including the adoption, by all CBD governments and by UN agencies, of a new 10-year deal for nature and people and a long-term approach to mainstreaming: time for action is now, in preparation for the closing of COP 15 in May 2022, and this event will share information and opportunities for coordination of efforts.
Speakers
- Theresa Mundita Lim, Executive Director, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
- Michael Torrance, Chair of the Cross-Sector Biodiveristy Initiative CSBi
- Matthew Reddy, Senior Private Sector Specialist, Global Environmental Facility GEF
- Takao Aiba, Chairman of Subcomittee on Planning, Keidanren's Committee on Nature Conservation
- Moderator: Braulio Dias, Chairman, Birdlife International and former Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity
Watch the recording:
The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the role of Business
18 October 2021, 7am - 8.30am EDT
The post 2020 Global Biodiversity marks a critical juncture for one of the biggest global challenges of our time: the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Transformative changes are urgently needed to meet global goals while ensuring that biodiversity is conserved, restored and used sustainably. Such a transformation will require a system-wide reorganization and will have a profound impact in our relationship with the planet and how we do business.
The economic sectors will have a pivotal role to play in meeting the new goals and targets and its implementation. There are many exciting examples of how different actors and sectors are coming together through building coalitions, strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships and redesigning the overall dynamics of Business as Usual.
During the session we will hear from business and finance sector representatives who are looking into the future and identifying opportunities to integrate biodiversity in the decision-making process across operations, products and portfolios.
Speakers
- Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity
- Francis Ogwal, Co-Chair of the Open-Ended Working Group for the Post 2020
- Basile Van Havre, Co-Chair of the Open-Ended Working Group for the Post 2020
- Simon Zadek, Chair, Finance for Biodiversity Initiative (F4B)
- Claude Fromageot, Chair of the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity
- Magali Anderson, Chief Sustainability and Innovation, Holcim
- Thomas Lingard, Global Climate and Environment Director, Unilever
- Moderator: Katia Karousakis, Head of Biodiversity, Land Use and Ecosystems (BLUE) programme, OECD
Watch the recording:
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Workshop: The Financial Sector and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
17-18 June 2021
The workshop aims to facilitate a structured dialogue among experts from the financial community, as well as experts from Parties and stakeholders, on how the finance sector can most effectively contribute to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the 2050 vision and to identify priority actions needed for its implementation.
The workshop is expected to help participants to:
- Build mutual understanding between the global financial sector – both private and public –and the CBD community, as a basis for stronger collaboration on the role of finance in the development and implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and,
- Identify actions that could put the global financial sector (with governments and regulators) on track to contribute to the objectives of a robust and ambitious post-2020 framework and the commitments made by Parties within the framework.
Watch Day 1 here:
Watch Day 2 here:
Private Sector engagement in Multi Stakeholder Partnerships for biodiversity
17 June 2021
This session aims to show the successful engagement of businesses and other private sector representatives in multi-stakeholder partnerships for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. For this, representatives from different sectors shared their experiences and success stories in working with multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Speakers:
- Bianca Brasil, Program Manager, Business Engagement, CBD
- Andreas Gettkant, Project Coordinator, GIZ
- Mauricio Solano, Technical Advisor, GIZ
- Guttemberg Ferreira, Commercial Director, Brasil Ceras
- Jake Kheel, Vice President, Grupo Puntacana Foundation
- Karla Ávila, Cervecería Hondurena, ABINveB
- Alfredo Volio, CEO, Upala Agrícola
- Verónica Veneziano, CEO, Biodiversity in Good Company
Watch the webinar here:
Integrating Biodiversity into Business Strategies – Experiences and Hands-on Tools
20 April 2021
The objective of this event was to showcase successful experiences in the use of tools for incorporating biodiversity into business activity. Promising instruments that have proven to be hands-on and at the same time successful are Biodiversity Checks, Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) and the BAP-Monitor. In the session, businesses spoke about their experiences in integrating biodiversity with the help of these tools.
The session was organized by the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity in collaboration with three projects implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH: the Business and Biodiversity in Central America and Dominican Republic program funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as the Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Mexican Agriculture (IKI-IBA) and the Private Business Action for Biodiversity (PBAB) projects, funded by the German Federal Ministry for The Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) through its International Climate Initiative (IKI).
Watch the webinar here:
Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Contributions to the SDGs
14 April 2021
This webinar broadcast on 14 April 2021 presented the positive impacts and lessons learned from a range of practical experiences with Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) and highlighted the way in which ABS advances sustainable development. The event was organised by the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), GeoMedia and the Institute for Biodiversity Network, in collaboration with the CBD Secretariat, and was based on the outcomes of a research project supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN).
Watch the webinar here:
What aspirations for Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) in the post 2020 global biodiversity framework?
31 March 2021
This recording was of a webinar that broadcast on 31 March 2021 to explore the policy coming from the post-2020 global biodiversity framework - draft targets and indicators. With a panel discussion with speakers from ICC, IFRA, Firmenich, Parceval, and the ABS Capacity Development Initiative.
Watch the webinar here:
Embedding Nature into Business Models: Success Stories
16 March 2021
The session provided an overview of the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity and highlighted some concrete examples of companies that are working at the local level. Speakers highlighted the need for innovative solutions that are biodiversity friendly, collaboration and partnership with a diverse group of organizations, urgent action that is commensurate with the challenge ahead.
Key takeaways:
- Urgent action is needed. Despite the current trend where companies have been setting long term targets. Things need to change and they need to change fast.
- Ambition alone is not enough. Governments need to put in place effective regulation and incentive measures.
- Collaboration is key. Everyone has a role to play in the needed transformation and partnerships will be key to moving forward.
Watch the webinar here:
See the presentations below:
Strengthening Non-State Actor Commitments for Biodiversity in the context of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and SDGs
18 February 2021
Organized by the Governments of Egypt and China, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, this event underscored how non-state actor commitments support the urgency of action and ambition on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. This virtual side event took place on the margins of the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5).
More information can be found
here.
Watch the webinar here:
