. Biological diversity and climate change, including cooperation with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Biological diversity and climate change, including cooperation with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice,

Recalling decisions V/3, paragraphs 3, 5 and annex, V/4, paragraphs 11 and 16-20, V/15, paragraph 6, and V/21, paragraph 3, of the Conference of the Parties,

Emphasizing the urgent need to take prompt action to address climate change as a major cause of loss of biological diversity, which is already evident, in particular in coral-bleaching, and its associated socio-economic consequences,

Also emphasizing that measures that may be taken to mitigate or adapt to climate change may also have important effects, positive or negative, on biological diversity,

Stressing the need for adaptation measures to ensure the long-term integrity of ecosystems, species and ecological processes under conditions of climate change,

Emphasizing also the impact of biodiversity loss on climate change and the contribution that the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, through, inter alia, avoided deforestation, could make to adapt to or mitigate climate change,

Stressing that overall emissions reduction is the main and most important measure to address climate change,

Recognizing the existence of reliable scientific data that climate change is already impacting on the biological diversity of coral reefs,

1. Recommends to the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting that there is a need to take immediate actions under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to reduce and mitigate the impacts of climate change on the biological diversity of coral reefs and their associated socio-economic effects;

2. Takes note of the discussion of the interlinkages between biological diversity and climate change, contained in the discussion note by the Executive Secretary submitted to the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at its sixth session and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice of that Convention at the second part of its thirteenth session, held in The Hague, from 13 to 24 November 2000 (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/6/11, annex I);

3. Welcomes the agreement of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice to consider this matter at its fourteenth session, scheduled for July 2001, and its invitation to the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to submit their views on the issues identified;

4. Promotes on the basis of the ecosystem approach a wider assessment of the interlinkages between biological diversity and climate change, in order to develop more comprehensive scientific advice to integrate biodiversity considerations into the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, including:

(a) The impacts of climate change on biological diversity and the impacts of biodiversity loss on climate change;

(b) The potential impact on biological diversity of mitigation measures that may be carried out under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, and identification of potential mitigation measures that also contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity;

(c) The potential for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity to contribute to climate adaptation measures;

5. Initiates, as a first step in the wider assessment referred to in paragraph 4 above, a pilot assessment to prepare scientific advice to integrate biodiversity considerations into the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, and, for this purpose, establishes an ad hoc technical expert group in accordance with the modus operandi of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the terms of reference provided in the annex to the present recommendation, to report on progress to the Subsidiary Body at its seventh meeting;

6. Invites the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to contribute to this assessment process by preparing a technical paper and identifying experts;

7. Invites the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment to incorporate the issues identified in paragraph 4 above, and to report on this matter at the seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice;

8. Invites the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as the Convention on Migratory Species, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Forum on Forests and other relevant organizations to contribute to this work;

9. Requests the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to explore the formation of a joint liaison group between the bureau members of the relevant subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, and their respective secretariats, for the purpose of enhancing coordination between the two conventions including exchange of relevant information, development of a joint work plan to address the interlinkages between climate change and biological diversity, and the organization of a joint workshop to further cooperation and collaborative action between the two conventions;

10. Requests the Executive Secretary to inform the secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of these steps taken by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, to convey to them the urgency and importance of the matter, and to invite their continued collaboration, with a view to facilitating the integration of biodiversity considerations in the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol;

11. Requests the Executive Secretary to prepare a background paper for the pilot assessment referred to in paragraph 5 above, drawing upon the material in his note on biological diversity and climate change prepared for the sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/6/11);

12. Notes the importance of coordination of policies and programmes relating to climate change and biological diversity at the national level.

Annex

PILOT ASSESSMENT OF THE INTERLINKAGES BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

Terms of reference of the ad hoc technical expert group established in paragraph 5 of recommendation VI/7

1. The ad hoc technical expert group established in paragraph 5 of recommendation VI/7 should, on the basis of the ecosystem approach:

(a) Analyse possible adverse effects on biological diversity of measures that might be taken or are being considered under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol;

(b) Identify factors that influence biodiversity's capacity to mitigate climate change and contribute to adaptation and the likely effects of climate change on that capacity;

(c) Identify options for future work on climate change that also contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.

2. The ad hoc technical expert group should develop recommendations based upon a review of possible approaches and tools such as criteria and indicators, to facilitate application of scientific advice for the integration of biodiversity considerations into the implementation of measures that might be taken under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol to mitigate or adapt to climate change;

3. In carrying out these tasks, the ad hoc technical expert group should draw upon relevant documents prepared under the Convention on Biological Diversity (including decisions V/3, V/4, and V/6, and UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/6/11) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (including the third assessment review and the Special Report on Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)), as well as other available literature;

4. The ad hoc technical expert group should identify areas where further work is needed to improve scientific advice for the integration of biodiversity considerations into the implementation measures to mitigate or adapt to climate change, including (i) further assessment, drawing upon existing knowledge; and (ii) further research; and should identify options for participation of the IPCC and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in this further work;

5. The ad hoc technical expert group will comprise a regionally balanced group with expertise in the fields of biological diversity and climate change. The experts will be selected by the Executive Secretary in accordance with the modus operandi of SBSTTA, in consultation with the SBSTTA Bureau, drawing upon experts nominated by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, scientists involved in the IPCC processes, and experts from indigenous and local communities;

6. The work of the ad hoc technical expert group should be initiated as soon as possible. A progress report should be submitted to SBSTTA at its seventh meeting, and the results of the ad hoc technical expert group's work will be completed by the time of the eighth meeting of SBSTTA and considered by SBSTTA at a meeting prior to the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties.