In this Issue Brief, IDDRI identifies and highlights a number of points in the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services that it considers particularly striking, showing what these results may indicate in terms of action.
Key Messages
- The Global Assessment shows that biodiversity collapse on the continents is primarily due to land use changes related to agriculture, particuarly linked to the increased consumption of animal products. Regarding oceans, pressure from fisheries is the main cause of the decline. This suggests the adoption of commitments relating to food and agricultural systems.
- The political progress that has been achieved relates mainly to the adoption of texts. However, the implementation of such texts is lacking, calling for some political efforts to be shifted towards their practical realisation.
- Part of the solution will be based on “indigenous peoples and local communities”, for whom the report highlights their numerical significance and their major role in biodiversity preservation. This suggests designing modes of economic and social development that both protect and rely on these populations.
- Upcoming negotiations for the renewal of the CBD post-2020 framework could address the issue of objectives that target food and agriculture in particular. This is also the case for the WTO negotiations on fishery subsidies, as well as the negotiations on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
