BirdLife Policy Brief for CBD COP-10, Nagoya
Climate Change This document outlines BirdLife’s main policy messages in relation to climate change for COP-10. BirdLife International urges parties to ensure decisions taken at the COP secure the following outcomes: 1. The post-2010 Biodiversity Strategy targets should include strong components that reduce the drivers of biodiversity loss, build resilience of biodiversity and ecosystems and recognise the contribution of ecosystems and biodiversity to climate change mitigation and adaptation. 2. Clear actions to promote synergies between the CBD and the UNFCCC at national and international levels should be agreed to ensure that climate change mitigation and adaptation responses are implemented in an environmentally sound manner. 3. The vital importance of safeguarding biodiversity, ecosystems and the essential services they provide in climate change mitigation, in particular reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation, should be recognised and supported. 4. The vital importance of safeguarding biodiversity, ecosystems and the essential services they provide in climate change adaptation should be recognised and supported. Climate change is an important component of the work of the CBD and will be one of the key topics discussed at CBD COP-10 in Nagoya. Climate change does not have a discrete programme of work but cuts across the Convention, being an important component particularly in the programmes of work on forests, inland waters, marine and coastal biodiversity, dry and sub-humid lands and protected areas. Climate change has received increasing attention in recent years within the CBD with key decisions from CBD COP-8 and -9 including:
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highlighting the importance of integrating biodiversity considerations into all relevant climate change national policies, programmes and plans;
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identifying mutually supportive activities to be conducted by the secretariats of the Rio Conventions, parties and relevant organisations;
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calling for an in-depth review of implementation of the cross-cutting issue on biodiversity and climate change for COP-10;
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establishing the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change.
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