Target 14: Governments
Elements to be replaced
- Fully integrate biodiversity values into policies with “considerations” or else “issues and commitments”
Even though the definition of “values” in the CBD recognises all the different values (the intrinsic, ecological, genetic, social economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic values), in the implementation and in indicators this has a tendency to be reduced to “economic value”. “Considerations” implies biodiversity needs to be duly considered, also when the project that would lead to destruction would be economically more profitable than the economic value of nature. “Issues and commitments” imply any issue that can raise for biodiversity, and any commitment parties have made.
Elements that should be part of the target
- Strong regulation by governments,
Governments must be the primary actors, because industrial sectors such as mining, industrial agriculture, oil production, etc are so much more powerful than biodiversity advocates and environmental defenders. Governments need to determine environmental rules and ensure it is not advantageous to disregard the needs of biodiversity to be more competitive.
- All new and existing policies
The integration of all biodiversity issues and commitments into policies, or in short, a “biodiversity check” is both needed for all new policies to avoid negative effects on biodiversity as well as for all existing policies so they do not continue to have negative effects on biodiversity.
- Comprehensively applied assessments of environmental, social, cultural, gender and human rights impacts
Development projects and other processes which destroy biodiversity and ecosystems are normally also negative for social, cultural, gender and human rights impacts
Ultimately, all policies need to be compatible with the needs for biodiversity and thus of people and the planet, ensuring the goals and targets of the GBF are reached.
- Adopt NBSAPS as overarching and comprehensive policy instruments”
NBSAPs need to be developed as comprehensive policy instruments, including the political weight at ministerial decision-making level. This shall ensure that all policies, regulations, planning, financing assessment, poverty reduction and other state's processes which affect biodiversity will respect all CBD obligations and fulfil them, independent of the governance level or economic sector.
NBSAPs were also part of the Aichi Targets, so not including it would be a regression.
- Strategic environmental and technology assessments
Technologies should be required to undergo horizon scanning, assessment, and monitoring of technologies, in order to avoid negative impacts, regulate to prevent harm and to prioritise conservation of biodiversity.
Elements that should NOT be part of the target
- Recognize biodiversity as a strategic asset for the economy
This suggests we need to put an economic value on biodiversity. It reduces biodiversity to only
one of its values, and often leads to trading and offsetting, and thereby to more destruction.
- “Sustainable” deep sea mining
Deep sea mining presents an unacceptable risk to ecosystems that are little understood, highly biodiverse, fragile, and slow to recover from the impacts of activities such as mining. No such mining can ever be sustainable, and it should be prohibited altogether.