During 13-23 April, 2021, the virtual segment of the fifth Science-Policy Forum for Biodiversity (hereafter “the Forum”) was held successfully online. More than 1000 representatives from research institutions, governments, international organizations and other stakeholders attended the forum to share experience and insights on the formulation and implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF).
UNEP-International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), together with Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences of Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China (CSES, MEE), co-led Session 3 - Harnessing science, technology and innovations to support the implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Eight experts and scholars from the UN Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Wildlife Fund, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Amsterdam etc., made presentations to share the role of science in the formulation and implementation of biodiversity conservation policies at theoretical and practical levels. At the end of the session, the experts had an interactive discussion with the participants and responded to the general concerns of the participants.
Director of UNEP-IEMP, Dr. Zhang Linxiu, served as the chair of Session 3 and made a presentation on “Promoting nexus approaches for resilient livelihoods in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework”. By introducing UNEP-IEMP’s efforts on the implementation of the flagship program on "Climate, Ecosystems and Livelihoods", as well as traditional seed conservation and community ecological adaptation and environmental governance projects carried out in Yunnan, Director Zhang shared the practical experience of UNEP-IEMP in enhancing the community livelihood adaptability and provided the key implications for the formulation of the post-2020 GBF, including:
- Enhancing farmers’ seed system, community support for more effective biodiversity conservation.
- Design concrete livelihood options to capture the interest of communities and private funding, e.g. ecotourism.
- Linking ancient native “wisdoms” with scientific knowledge, partnership with private sector plus supportive policies for green transformation.
- Ensure sustainability through political ownership, community participation and long-term partnership.
- Women empowerment for their significant roles in agrobiodiversity conservation, agroecology, and healthy diets for healthy people and healthy environment.
- Implement nexus approach for multi-benefits interconnectivity and indivisible nature of SDGs.
UNEP-IEMP Director Linxiu Zhang speaking at session 3
The Forum is the first parallel session of CBD COP 15, aiming to provide space for scientists, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders to discuss and make recommendations on how science, technology and innovation could contribute to the effective implementation of the post-2020 GBF in order to bend the curve of biodiversity loss and obtain positive biodiversity outcomes and foster transformative change towards achieving the 2050 Vision. The conclusions and recommendations of the virtual sessions will be submitted to the twenty-fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 24), the third meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 3) and the third meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group to contribute to the preparation of the post-2020 GBF. This would allow the fifth Science-Policy Forum for Biodiversity and ICSS-8 to contribute to the elaboration of the draft framework well in advance of COP 15.
The Forum was jointly held with the Eighth International Conference on Sustainable Development, jointly hosted by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China (MEE), the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS), the Biodiversity Science Partnership (CSP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). It is also jointly organized by the Chinese Society for Environmental Science (CSES), United Nations Environment Programme - International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), the Institute for Future Initiative of the University of Tokyo and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies of Stockholm University. Other contributors include the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the University of Bonn, etc.
For more information of the forum or to watch the reply, please click here.
