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Green Week 2007: Challenges for the future
Biodiversity loss identified as core challenge for EU’s future
Brussels, Belgium, 15 June 2007 (IUCN): " Biodiversity loss is as serious a problem as climate change”, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) challenged the audience at the European Commission’s Green Week today. “We have to convince people about the urgency to tackle this issue. We need to demonstrate its economic importance. We have a very important communication job to do.”
While praising the EU’s achievements in 50 years of environmental protection, Marton- Lefèvre also identified crucial gaps: “Financing environmental conservation, policy integration and development cooperation need to be better dealt with in future EU environmental policy making and actions.”
On the way to achieve the 2010 biodiversity target, the European Union has the opportunity and the responsibility to lead the world’s efforts to significantly reduce biodiversity loss. Germany will host the 9th Convention of the Parties of the Biodiversity Convention in May 2008, Spain will follow suit with the 4th World Conservation Congress in October.
Organized by the European Commission, the annual Green Week brings together several thousand representatives of non-governmental organizations, businesses, various levels of governance and the public. Speakers include personalities like Commissioner Wallstroem, President Barroso and former UNEP Director Klaus Toepfer, addressing ‘Past Lessons – Future Challenges’ for 50 years of EU environmental policy making.
The World Conservation Congress is held every four years and brings together people from all corners of the world to debate and decide on environmental and development issues. The next Congress will be held in Barcelona from 5 to 14 October 2008. The World Conservation Union invites governments, organizations, sailors and boat owners passionate about the marine environment and its species to take part in a parade of sailing boats and research vessels beating in front of the Congress venue. The parade will also mark the prelude to the IUCN World Conservation Congress and contributes to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the World Conservation Union.
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IUCN Regional Office for Europe running team participated in the "20 km through Brussels"
Brussels, Belgium, 29 May 2007 (IUCN): On Sunday, 27 May 2007, at 15:00 hours, right after the tune of the Bolero of Ravel, the long awaited running event, the "20 km through Brussels" started.
28,000 runners gave their best in the 27th edition of this annual event which attracts an audience of ten thousands of people from all over Europe.
The IUCN Regional Office for Europe running team, consisting of four women and two men, participated in the run. They all trained seriously in the months leading up to the race. The green T-shirts had been especially designed and the slogan on the back-side read: "For NATURE we run the extra mile".
The team ran very good times (between 1h40 and 2h08). The supporters cheering along the road were numerous (IUCN colleagues, friends and family) and they really made the team go the extra mile.
Tired, but fulfilled to have been part of this great sportive event and having been able to run for the good cause of nature conservation, the team already announced to look forward to participate in the next half-marathon on the 25th of May 2008!
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Belgium's contribution to saving biodiversity
Brussels, Belgium, 22 May 2007 (IUCN): Belgium launched today the Countdown 2010 Initiative demonstrating its strong support for halting the loss of biodiversity.
By signing the Countdown 2010 Declaration, the Belgium Government commits to strengthen its engagement and contribution to the 2010 biodiversity target through the adoption and implementation of the Belgian National Biodiversity Strategy 2006-2016.
“Also in Belgium, biodiversity is at stake. By participating in this structural partnership, the Belgian government commits itself in collaboration with IUCN to put a stop to the loss of biodiversity and to protect and offer new opportunities to the threatened fauna and flora before 2010”, saysBruno Tobback, Federal Minister for the Environment and Pensions.
In joining the Initiative, Bruno Tobback, Minister for the Environment and Pensions, commits Belgium to ensure that biodiversity considerations are integrated in the agenda of other sectors such as transport, science, development cooperation and economic development.
The implementation of the Belgian National Biodiversity Strategy 2006-2016 will be supported by national biodiversity communication initiatives aiming at communicating the importance of nature and its diversity for the human-well being and raising awareness of the 2010 biodiversity target to halt the loss of biodiversity by that time.
Belgium also committed itself to promote political efforts for reaching the 2010 biodiversity target on the European and international levels.
Tamas Marghescu, IUCN’s Regional Director for Europe, welcomed these commitments and highlighted that “The signing of the Countdown 2010 Declaration marks another milestone in Belgium’s efforts to halt the loss of biodiversity. With its plans, especially the National Biodiversity Strategy, Belgium laid another strong foundation for a successful EU Presidency in 2010. We look forward to closely cooperate with Belgium to reach the 2010 biodiversity target”.
The signing ceremony took place during the celebrations of the International Biodiversity Day at the Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique.
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Luxembourg commits Euro 50 million to biodiversity
Manternach, Luxembourg 21 May 2007 - With a day prior to the International Biodiversity Day, Luxembourg marks its commitment to the 2010 biodiversity target.
Minister for Environment and Transport, Mr. Lucien Lux signed the Countdown 2010 Declaration with concrete and tangible commitments by launching its National Plan for the Conservation of Nature. This Plan foresees 41 measurable action items with a budget of up to Euro 50 million for the coming 5 years. He emphasized “…actions have to be concrete, measurable and carried out in partnership. This national plan provides the means for Luxembourg to respond to its international commitments and to move towards the 2010 biodiversity target”.
Like many countries in Europe, Luxembourg has experienced a loss of biodiversity since the 1960s of 80% of its wetlands and 35% of its chalk grasslands. It is the second most fragmented country in Europe. Their Countdown 2010 commitment is about reversing this trend, by having established a national platform of all relevant stakeholders and a national observatory which will monitor the progress toward implementing the national plan. The observatory is composed of a multi-stakeholder consortium, including universities, union representatives and NGOs, which will allow for a balanced and neutral assessment of the progress toward 2010.
Sebastian Winkler, Head of Countdown 2010, concluded that, “…Luxembourg is the seventieth State to join the growing movement of partners working toward this ambitious target. It is only together that we will come closer in achieving the 2010 target and the annual stock-taking consultations among the respective stakeholders provide an ideal vehicle to adjust or increase the necessary action to achieve the targets outlined in the national plan for nature conservation”.
Press release (French)
Countdown 2010 Declaration of Luxembourg
For more information visit:
http://countdown2010.net
http://www.environnement.public.lu/
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The Basque capital Vitoria-Gasteiz joins 2010!
16 May 2007, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. By signing the Countdown 2010 declaration, the capital city of the Basque region today made a clear statement on the importance it attaches to biodiversity and the continuous protection of nature and natural resources in and around Vitoria-Gasteiz. The city has been ranked first among all cities in Spain as to green areas per capita. Within the declaration, the city defines a comprehensive set of commitments in order to contribute to the 2010 biodiversity target. The Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Mr. Alfonso Alonso, stressed the city’s unique biodiversity richness and explained what the city will focus on within the next year: among other activities, the Basque city will implement a research programme in order to better assess and detect the status of its ecosystems and to detect long-term trends. A new programme that aims at increasing biodiversity in the green city will be introduced and focus on the creation of a germplasm bank for plants and also, for example, on the reintroduction of the European mink in the Salburura wetlands and the conservation of native freshwater turtles. The commitments include as well the designation of a pilot area where alternative models of agricultural production will be fostered. Throughout these activities, the city aims at involving the citizens of Vitoria-Gasteiz as much as possible in order to make people aware of the problem of biodiversity loss. For this purpose, a public discussion forum and an initiative to organize voluntary work is being created.
The signing ceremony took place in presence of the representatives of the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, biodiversity experts from the city’s Environmental Studies Center and the Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre, represenatatives from the Province of Alava, and cititzens of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The event was therefore an excellent occasion to offer the Basque city a special role within the new Countdown 2010 project “Local and Regional Authorities for Biodiversity 2010”, which was highly welcomed by the Mayor Mr. Alonso. Given the big number, variety and quality of the city’s nature conservation activities, Countdown 2010 considers the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz a very good partner for making the Basque region of Spain to one of Europe’s model regions for nature conservation. In total, the project – kindly supported be the Dutch Ministry of Environment and carried out in collaboration with ICLEI and ECNC – will focus on creating a network of 5 European model regions which are very committed to nature conservation and can therefore be a inspiration and source of information for others. In the course of the project, i.a. a special Countdown 2010 website will inform in detail on what is being and can be done from the local to the regional level in order to save biodiversity by 2010.
Picture:
On the left: Carlos Sanchez Martinez, President, Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre
On the right: Mr. Alfonso Alonso, Mayor, Vitoria-Gasteiz
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Norway confirms its commitment to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010
Today, Norway formalized its adhesion to Countdown 2010 by signing the Countdown 2010 Declaration. Having supported the initiative since 2004, the Norwegian Minister for the Environment Helen Bjørnøy reaffirmed Norway’s commitment to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010 during a visit of IUCN’s Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre.
Helen Bjørnøy underlined the importance of IUCN’s Countdown 2010 initiative which brings together more than 200 partners ranging from national to local governments, from non-governmental organizations to businesses.
“It is essential to get all sectors whose activities have an impact on nature committed to the 2010 biodiversity target.” stresses Helen Bjørnøy. “With its partners and members, IUCN and Countdown 2010 are in a good position to enhance the dialogue and cooperation between the environment and non-environment sectors.”
Julia Marton-Lefèvre welcomed this renewed Norwegian commitment and noted that indeed “unprecedented efforts from all stakeholders are needed for realizing the 2010 target. Countdown 2010 provides an ideal vehicle for joint action, which will support governments in moving closer to the target”.
“The speed of the extinction is very worrying,” Bjørnøy said. “The biological diversity is our basis of existence, and we are highly committed to stop this loss before 2010. Though the target is very ambitious, we need to increase our efforts to realize it.”
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Creating further momentum for the 4th IUCN World Conservation Congress
27 February 2007, Brussels, Belgium. During her inaugural visit in Brussels as the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) new Director General, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, and her colleagues created further momentum for the next World Conservation Congress in Barcelona in October 2008.
In meetings with the Commissioner for Environment Dimas and other high-level representatives from European institutions, Ms Marton-Lefèvre invited the European Commission to highlight its European and global initiatives in nature conservation and sustainable development during the Congress.
She also encouraged Members of the European Parliament to join the conservation community in Barcelona in order to define and launch the Barcelona Legacy which will provide a vision and action plan for a paradigm shift towards and beyond 2010.
During a reception in the IUCN Regional Office for Europe which was hold under the motto “Sailing to Barcelona 2008”, the more than 100 guests welcomed the idea of a parade of sailing boats and research vessels in front of the Congress venue delivering symbolically key political messages on the 2010 biodiversity target.
Guests to the reception witnessed the launch of “The BioDaVersity Code”. The film is a new animated parody of the Da Vinci Code explaining in a simple way the dependence of humans on ecosystem services. Please have a look!
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The Post Paris Process (PPP) is taking shape
11 December 2006, Brussels, Belgium. The implementation of the “Message from Paris” went today an important step ahead, when the EU General Affairs Council endorsed the “Message from Paris” and emphasized the essential contribution of biodiversity and ecosystem services to human well-being, particularly for poor people.
In September 2006, more than 400 participants from governments and civil society in developing and developed countries agreed on the “Message from Paris”, outlining ways forward to better integrate biodiversity into European Development Cooperation.
The European Commission, in close cooperation with Member States, is invited to report to the Council on a regular basis on the implementation of main priority actions of the Message from Paris.
As a next step, IUCN is going to identify with the European Commission and interested Member States some key action points allowing a proper implementation of the Message from Paris, in particular in helping developing countries and regions to mainstream biodiversity and ecosystem services in their development strategies and plans.
Tamás Marghescu, IUCN Regional Director for Europe, summarized that “the Council conclusions are a milestone in the Post Paris Process as it is a formal endorsement of the Message by EU Member States, putting biodiversity back on the agenda of development cooperation.”
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Green Belt website shows ecological networks in Europe
22 November 2006. The European Green Belt initiative links valuable ecosystems along the former iron curtain. The projects along the course of the old east-western border symbolise the global effort for joint, cross border activities in nature conservation and sustainable development.
The newly designed website europeangreenbelt.org presents the three regions of the Green Belt, the specific challenges and efforts undertaken. Katharina Diehl, the project coordinator, adds: “We want to make this website an active information repository for our partners and projects. Over the next couple of months, we will add geographical data and additional maps to show what is going on on each level of the Belt.”
A description of the structure of the initiative and contact details for all focal points complements the site.
Weblink: www.europeangreenbelt.org
See also the Greenbelt Newsletter Autumn 2006
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Milestone meeting for IUCN Europe
20 October 2006, Barcelona, Spain. The pan-European members’ meeting of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) held under the theme “Towards 2010 and Beyond – A Vision for European Nature” in Barcelona, Spain, ended on the 21st October with a call for action clearly demonstrating that the Union is a critical platform for defining and debating the future for nature conservation.
Participants set the stage for a process to develop a vision for European nature beyond 2010. How do we want our Europe to look like in the future? The process is geared to actively involve all parts of society so that everybody can claim ownership of the vision. The participants called for seeing nature and its services as the foundation for economic and social welfare.
The meeting was also important for the further development of the Union’s activities in Europe. More than 200 delegates from 37 national Governments, the European Commission, five UN organizations, 88 NGOs and private companies debated ways to activate the full potential and capacity of the Union.
Participants agreed that special emphasis should be given to pilot projects, long-term multi-members initiatives such as the European Greenbelt and communications activities aiming at especially engaging non-environmental sectors. These measures might significantly contribute to integrate biodiversity considerations into all European policies for a better protection of European nature.
24 new partners from public to private entities joined the Countdown 2010 alliance hereby emphasizing these ambitious intentions. Countdown 2010 is a powerful network of more than 150 active partners working together to tackle the causes of biodiversity loss. Each partner commits additional efforts towards the 2010 biodiversity target. Acting together, they create a joint momentum to save biodiversity.
Summarizing the most important reason for a strong engagement of the private sector in nature conservation, Mark Held from the European Outdoor Group, a new Countdown 2010 partner, quoted David Brower in his speech: “There is no business to be done on a dead planet”.
Tamás Marghescu, IUCN Regional Director for Europe and host of the pan-European members’ meeting, summarized that “the meeting mirrored the success of the Union in building effective alliances with members and partners developing and transforming a vision for a rural Europe with healthy and happy citizens in equally healthy environments into reality. At this point, I cordially thank Barcelona and Cataluña for their support and hospitality. We look forward to visit Barcelona again for the upcoming 4th World Conservation Congress in 2008.”
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Agriculture – warrant of a healthy environment
17 October 2006, Strasbourg, France. Tamás Marghescu, Director of the World Conservation Union - Europe (IUCN), calls for a new vision for agriculture that creates a win-win situation for all stakeholders. This vision should be developed by both consumers and producers.
IIn his speech, given at the Congress of European Farmers on European agriculture on the world market – Demand and supply prospects in Europe (Strasbourg, 16 & 17 October 2006), Mr Marghescu assesses the complex links between environmental protection and agricultural activities and the future opportunities these links can provide.
Quo vadis agriculture? Mr Marghescu highlights that the European agricultural sectors stands at a crossroad: do we want to have an industrialized agriculture that consists of monopolies, monocultures, urbanized rural areas and creates unhealthy environments at hime and abroad? This might result in a loss of food quality, plant and animal species as well as of recreational areas and typical European landscape features.
Or do we look for alternatives taking the opportunities of European agriculture into account such as the huge variety of high quality regional products and specialties of specific seasons?
The production of these traditional quality products together with the development of new markets could significantly contribute to supporting regional economies, preserving jobs in rural areas and re-connecting consumers and producers. Finally, this vision for European agriculture would benefit all – producers, consumers and our environment including its diverse fauna and flora.
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Georgian conservation expert to head the new IUCN Programme Office for the Southern Caucasus
16 October 2006, Tbilisi, Georgia. The World Conservation Union (IUCN), the world’s largest environmental network, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ramaz Gokhelashvili as the Director of its new Programme Office for the Southern Caucasus.
Ramaz Gokhelashvili is a biodiversity conservation specialist and wildlife ecologist, as well as a natural resources and environmental manager, with 18 years of experience in these fields. He holds an MSc in Wildlife Management from the University of Idaho (USA) and a second MSc in Ecology from Tbilisi State University (Georgia).
Ramaz has initiated and managed numerous nature conservation projects, assessments, and studies in Georgia and elsewhere in the Caucasus. Ramaz also has experience in the fields of biodiversity policy development, regional and international environmental cooperation, and NGO sector development and networking. He is author of six books, more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers and more than 70 articles on the subject of natural resources management.
“We are very fortunate to have Mr. Gokhelashvili on board. His experience, his creativity and his dedication to conservation are key qualities which we value in IUCN. He will need these skills to reach our goals in the region: we want to support the development of a protected area network, and to strengthen both governments and non-governmental organisations in their fight to save biodiversity by the year 2010, a political commitment of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Ramaz will have the full support of IUCN’s global network to build our presence in the Southern Caucasus” said Tamás Marghescu, IUCN Regional Director for Europe.
The new office, which will be located in Tbilisi (Georgia), will be the centre of future efforts of IUCN to help save biodiversity in this key ecoregion. Countdown 2010 – a major project for the region to contain the loss of biodiversity by 2010 – had its Caucasus launch in Gudauri, Georgia, in May 2006. Another ongoing project is the development of a management plan for the Ktsia-Tabatskuri Managed Reserve, which is carried out together with the Georgian Center for the Conservation of Wildlife.
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22.08.2006. |
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Pan-European IUCN Members meeting (Barcelona, 19-21 October 2006): “Towards 2010 and Beyond – A Vision for European Nature”
European IUCN members are cordially invited to join the forth-coming pan-European IUCN Members Meeting which will take place from the 19th to 21st October 2006 in the Hotel Catalonia Plaza in Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain.
Representatives from IUCN partners, the European Commission, national Governments, international organizations and agencies as well as donors will discuss and collect ideas for a vision for European Nature that will be included in the next IUCN Intersessional Programme.
Please find the draft conference programme and registration details under http://www.suportserveis.com. For further questions, please contact Ms. Esther Vallado by phone (+32-2-739 0318) or e-mail (esther.vallado@iucn.org).
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08.08.2006. |
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IUCN ROfE and the Countdown 2010 Secretariat lament Adri de Gelder, Executive Director of Vogelbescherming Nederland (BirdLife Partner in the Netherlands)
The IUCN and Countdown 2010 Secretariats deeply regrets the unexpected death of Adri de Gelder, Executive Director of Vogelbescherming Nederland (BirdLife Partner in the Netherlands).
Adri will be always remembered as a passionate birdwatcher and nature conservationist who approached his work with a sincere commitment, believing deeply in the importance of nature protection. We are convinced that his valuable contributions, great expertise and dedication will not be forgotten.
In this difficult time, we would like to express our sincere condolences to his family and to “Vogelbescherming Nederland”. Adri will be missed by anyone who has worked with him or was fortunate enough to have known him.
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15.02.2006. |
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Representatives
of
Ministries
in
charge
of
Protected
Areas
in
the
Mediterranean,
review
the
role
and
effectiveness
of
IUCN Committees,
and
how
Council,
Secretariat
and
Committees
can
best
address
these
issues.
Committees
contributed
to
the
meeting
by
exposing
their
problems
and
concerns,
proposing
solutions
and
presenting
demands
to
IUCN
council. These
demands
included,
amongst
others,
the
clarification
of
roles
of
Secretariat
and
National
Committees,
the
creation
of
a set
of
rules
and
procedures
for
project
management
and
the
follow-up
in
recommendations
and
resolutions.
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07.02.2006. |
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cooperation
agencies
and
the
private
sector
met
from
30th
-31st
January
in
Seville,
Spain,
to
share
their
experiences
on sustainable
financing
of
Protected
Areas.
Tamas
Marghescu,
Regional
Director
of
the
IUCN
Regional
Office
for
Europe
contributed
to
the
event
by
providing
an
overview of
the
difficult
financial
situation
for
Protected
Areas
in
the
Mediterranean
and
by
providing
examples
of
best
practice as
demonstrated
by
the
National
Park
Hoge
Kempen,
in
Limburg,
Belgium.
Chairs
of
IUCN
officially
recognized
National
and
Regional
Committees
gathered
together
in
a
3
day
meeting
13-15th
February
in The
Hague’s
World
Forum
Convention
Centre,
The
Netherlands.
The
purpose
of
this
meeting
was
to
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15.12.2005. |
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English
Nature
has
announced
the
new
Countdown
2010
Biodiversity
Action
Fund
during
t
he
World
Conservation
Union
's
UK
committee
meeting
in
York.
This
fund
,
worth
£
2
million
annually
will
support
projects
that
help
achieve
the
British
government’s
commitment
to
halt
the
loss
of
biodiversity
by
2010,
through
delivering
the
objectives
of
the
England
Biodiversity
Strategy
and
Biodiversity
Action
Plan
targets.
The
commitment
to
halt
biodiversity
loss
by 2010
was
made
by
European
leaders
at
the
2001
EU
Summit
in
Gothenburg
.
Countdown
2010
is
a pan-European
initiative
based
in
IUCN's
Regional
Office
for
Europe
which
seeks
to
raise
awareness
of
this
target.
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story. English
nature. Countdown
2010 |
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07.12.2005.
Belgrade,
Serbia
and
Montenegro |
|
Albania
and
Montenegro
Jointly
Protect
Lake
Skadar
Lake
Skadar,
the
biggest
lake
in
the
Balkans
will
become
a
new
transboundary
protected
area
between
Albania
and Montenegro
On
November
2,
the
Albanian
government
announced
that
495
km2
of
the
Albanian
wing
and
surrounding
habitats
of
Lake Skadar
is
protected.
Combined
with
the
protected
Montenegrin
side
of
the
lake,
this
will
create
a
new
protected area
covering
almost
900
km2
across
the
borders
of
Albania
and
Montenegro.
The
new
transboundary
protection
of
Lake
Skadar,
the
largest
freshwater
body
in
the
Mediterranean
basin,
also
marks
a
success for
the
transboundary
conservation
work
of
the
World
Conservation
Union
(IUCN)
and
its
partners,
who
actively
promote
international cooperation
through
conservation
in
the
Balkans.
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22.11.2005.
Paris,
France
and
Geneva,
Switzerland |
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FRANCE
MAKES
MAJOR
COMMITMENT
TO
INTERNATIONAL
CONSERVATION
France
and
the
World
Conservation
Union
(IUCN)
will
increase
their
worldwide
cooperation
in
conservation
through
the
signing
of
a
four-year framework
agreement.
“This
agreement
will
give
France
the
opportunity
to
help
shape
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