Biodiversity and climate change: guidance to promote synergy among activities for biodiversity conservation, mitigating or adapting to climate change and combating land degradation

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity,

Noting the advice or guidance, including tools and approaches, contained in the note by the Executive Secretary prepared for the eleventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/18), with the addition, as a new section IV, of section IV of the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on Biodiversity and Adaptation to Climate Change (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/5), as an initial step in the design, implementation and monitoring of activities that interlink across biodiversity, climate-change, wetland ecosystems, and land degradation and desertification, while addressing the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the World Heritage Convention (WHC), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals(CMS), and other relevant multilateral environmental agreements,

Welcoming the start of the process within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to consider ways and means to reduce emissions from deforestation in developing countries and noting that effective actions to reduce deforestation could constitute a unique opportunity for biodiversity protection,

Noting the Issue-Based Modules for Coherent Implementation of Biodiversity Conventions developed by the United Nations Environment Programme as a useful tool to facilitate synergy in reporting and implementation of biodiversity-related conventions,

Noting that the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change has started its consideration of a five-year programme of work on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, and that this programme could facilitate communication and cooperation between relevant organizations as well as drawing upon relevant information from, and activities undertaken in, other international and regional organizations,

Recalling decision VII/15, paragraph 15,

1. Encourages Parties and other Governments to integrate biodiversity considerations into all relevant national policies, programmes and plans in response to climate change; taking into account the maintenance and restoration of the resilience of ecosystems which are essential for sustaining the delivery of their goods and services;

2. Encourages Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and research institutions to develop rapid assessment tools for the design and implementation of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use activities which contribute to adaptation to climate change, particularly in vulnerable countries and regions, including small island developing States;

3. Encourages Parties and other Governments, when addressing research needs and activities on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, to involve indigenous and local communities and other relevant stakeholders, particularly on issues related to ecosystem health, human health, traditional knowledge, and livelihoods;

4. Encourages Parties and other Governments to cooperate regionally in activities aimed at enhancing habitat connectivity across ecological gradients, with the aim of enhancing ecosystem resilience and to facilitate the migration and dispersal of species with limited tolerance to altered climatic conditions;

5. Invites Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and research institutions, to address, as appropriate, the research gaps outlined in the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Adaptation to Climate Change and summarized in paragraph 3 of recommendation XI/14 of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and to promote research on climate change response activities related to biodiversity, in the context of the ecosystem approach and sustainable use, and in order to further facilitate the incorporation of biodiversity considerations into the design, implementation and monitoring of activities aimed at the mitigation and adaptation of the impacts of climate change, including on indigenous peoples and local communities;

6. Invites Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and research institutions to develop, support, and review, as appropriate, pilot and/or ongoing projects involving joint actions within the objectives of the three Rio conventions, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Migratory Species, and other relevant multilateral environmental agreements in order to promote better understanding and functioning of synergy among these;

7. Invites Parties to consider the needs of the most vulnerable regions and ecosystems, and their indigenous and local communities, including the need to provide additional support to developing countries, particularly the least developed and small-island developing States among them, and countries with economies in transition, in order to enhance understanding, design and communication of synergies in the national implementation of the three Rio conventions, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Migratory Species, and other multilateral environmental agreements, and to support the preparation of adaptation activities and plans, including assistance in the areas of financial resources, technology transfer, education and outreach, capacity-building, research and systemic observation, and harmonized reporting.

8. Requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, while respecting the mandate of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, to develop draft guidance on how to integrate relevant climate change impacts and response activities, into the programmes of work of the Convention, building on the findings of the reports on biodiversity and climate change (CBD Technical Series No. 10 and UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/5), taking into account inter alia:

(a) Vulnerable regions, subregions and ecosystem types;

(b) Characterization of tools and methods in terms of effectiveness, costs, and ecosystem vulnerability;

(c) Best practices based on the analysis of case studies; and

(d) The contributions that protected areas can make in this context;

9. Requests the Executive Secretary, through the Joint Liaison Group (JLG) of the Rio conventions, to consider the options in the note by the Executive Secretary on options for enhanced cooperation among the three Rio conventions prepared for the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (UNEP/CBD/WGRI/1/7/Add.1). In considering these options, the Group may identify mutually supportive activities to be conducted by the secretariats of the Rio conventions, Parties and relevant organizations, taking into account the findings of the two reports on biodiversity and climate change (CBD Technical Series No. 10 and UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/11/INF/5) for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice prior to the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

10. Requests the Executive Secretary to transmit the present decision, including the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group, to relevant bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Migratory Species, and other relevant multilateral environmental agreements, and to ensure follow-up through the Joint Liaison Group of the Rio conventions.