Goal A

Elements that should be part of the goal

• “Halt the loss of species & Increase the restoration”

The goal needs to be oriented to halting the loss of both all species and all ecosystems, and to restore (=increase) biodiversity. These need to be measured separately, so as to maintain an understanding of both evolutions.

• Managed or semi-natural ecosystems

In some regions with a long cultural history, valuable and biodiverse semi-natural habitats such as some types of grasslands have evolved over millennia in direct interaction with IPLC

cultures and communities which need to be preserved in the same way as entirely natural habitats.

• Increase areas of ecosystems and species abundance to 20%

In line with target 2, a 20% increase of habitats seems ambitious but realistic.

• Genetic diversity

Genetic diversity must be fully maintained and safeguarded in situ where possible

Elements that should NOT be part of the goal

• Net gain / No Net loss / Net Zero/nature-positive/ Net improvement

“Net gain” or “no net loss” allows for biodiversity to be destroyed in one place with the promise

of reinstating or protecting it somewhere else (=offsetting). This facilitates the destruction of

biodiversity. Such compensatory schemes have proven to fail in practice and actually allow for

more destruction of biodiversity. They often result in gendered, negative social and

environmental impacts. It also denies the importance of local biodiversity for community

livelihoods, including in particular for women and Indigenous Peoples.

Elements to be replaced

• 10% reduction of extinction rate with eliminating or halting human-induced extinctions

In order to halt biodiversity loss, and thus to ensure coherence with the previous mission and

SDG 15.5., extinction must of course be halted as well. A mere reduction of the extinction rate

is not sufficient.