Biodiversity contributes directly and indirectly to human well-being. It is essential for the functioning of ecosystems and the sustained flow of benefits from ecosystems to individuals and societies. The loss of biodiversity contributes to worsening health, lower food security, increasing vulnerability, lower material wealth and worsening social relations. The international community has committed "to achieve a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth by 2010".

This 2010 Target was formally adopted by governments at the 6th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2002, and endorsed later that year at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Subsequently, a number of indicators were proposed to measure progress towards this target. These indicators are in the process of being developed by a wide range of organisations worldwide, and are at varying stages of development and availability.

The SUSG has been working to support the Parties to the Convention in its bid to define targets and indicators for sustainable use.

Further Reading

Sustainable Use Indicators Workshop. New Hall, Cambridge, UK. January 2006. PDF, 709Kb

Four key concepts in the CBD’s sustainable use goal and sub-targets by Barney Dickson. January 2006. PDF, 57Kb

Sustainable use, goals, sub-targets and indicators: Where are we? By Barney Dickson. January 2006. PDF, 125Kb

Sustainable Use Indicators Workshop: Key Conclusions and Recommendations. January 2006. PDF, 51Kb

IUCN Position Statement: The role and value of indicators of sustainable use of biological diversity. 11th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity Subsidiary Body on Science, Technology and Technological Assistance. 28 November – 2 December 2005. PDF, 38Kb

IUCN ad hoc Brainstorming Session - Indicators of Sustainable Use. Conclusions and Recommendations. May 2005. PDF, 16Kb