In May this year, a team of world-leading academics from Newcastle University travelled to the UN to engage policymakers with their ground-breaking research.
Read on to find out what they learned, and what this means for environmental research.
Contents:
- What is the UN Convention on Biological Diversity?
- A showcase of research
- What is the Global Biodiversity Framework?
- What is Target 4?
- Conservation and Sustainability Consortium of Academic Institutions (CASCADE) initiative
- Supporting capacity-building for developing countries
- Improving the dynamic of the science/policy interface
- What’s next?
What is the UN Convention on Biological Diversity?
In May this year, a team of researchers from the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences travelled to the United Nations headquarters in Nairobi to engage with global biodiversity conservation policymakers at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The CBD is the international legal forum for the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
The CBD covers biodiversity at all levels: ecosystems, species and genetic resources. It also covers biotechnology, politics, agriculture, and all domains that are directly or indirectly related to biodiversity and its role in development, from science and education to business, culture, and more.
Its overall objective is to encourage actions, which will lead to a sustainable future.
A showcase of research
Prof Philip McGowan, Dr Louise Mair, Dr Élie Pédarros and Dr Francesca Ridley engaged with country representatives to showcase how research from Newcastle University could support their efforts in achieving the global conservation targets set out in the convention’s Global Biodiversity Framework. The team also participated in the activities of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from which Newcastle University researchers are active members.
Additionally, the team presented events at two back-to-back meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which focussed on scientific advice and implementation of the convention’s Global Diversity Framework.
What is the Global Biodiversity Framework?
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is built upon recognising that urgent policy action in sustainable development is required globally, regionally and nationally to reduce and reverse the drivers of undesirable change that have exacerbated biodiversity loss.
Achieving this will allow for the recovery of all ecosystems and will reach the Convention’s Vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.
Representing the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Global Biodiversity Task Force, Prof Philip McGowan, Dr Louise Mair and Dr Francesca Ridley teamed up with Dr Alexandra Zimmermann and Ms Luna Milatović from the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict Task Force, to present a sell-out event on achieving Target 4 of the GBF.
Dr Ridley, Dr Mair, and Prof McGowan with the IUCN delegation at the 26th meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Science, Technology and Technical Advice (SBSTTA26) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
What is Target 4?
Target 4 of the GDF aims to:
- Ensure urgent management actions to halt human-induced extinction of known threatened species
- Maintain and restore genetic diversity
- Effectively manage human-wildlife interactions to minimize human-wildlife conflict for co-existence
Prof McGowan began by introducing the purpose of Target 4 in the framework, highlighting the gap it fills between the other targets and the species whose conservation status will likely continue to decline without it.
Dr Ridley then presented two research outputs, led by Newcastle University in collaboration with IUCN, that together can support countries in identifying which species require urgent management action. She also presented an online application that allowed users to interact with the datasets presented and identify the priority species, threats, and actions for any country of interest.
Dr Zimmermann expanded the discussion to the Target 4 clause on human-wildlife conflict and an indicator for measuring progress against this element of the Target. A concluding statement about the need for Target 4 and a strategic approach was given by David Cooper, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the CBD.
The participants were invited to give feedback on the approaches presented and convey perspectives on their geographic context and the challenges they experienced in taking action under Target 4.
Ideas generated have inspired the ongoing work to develop the application presented and the development of an indicator for the ‘urgent management action’ element of Target 4.
Conservation and Sustainability Consortium of Academic Institutions (CASCADE) initiative
The CASCADE initiative is a consortium which brings together the country’s world-leading biodiversity conservation experts to support the development of principles, policies and practices that meet biodiversity goals in the UK and globally in an equitable, socially just, and inclusive way.
Newcastle University is one of the leading institutions in the initiative, and during the UN Convention, Prof McGowan and Dr Pédarros collaborated with Prof Beale from York University and Hannah Nicholas from the University of Oxford to present the initiative.
After a general introduction from Mr Tamale, CBD Secretariat, Prof McGowan presented on CASCADE’s objectives and Dr Pédarros presented an analysis of the network of partnerships. Next, Ms Nicholas and Prof Beale facilitated a round-table discussion around three questions:
- What are the roles of universities in helping deliver KMGBF?
- What are the barriers to university involvement?
- How can CASCADE help facilitate this?
Conversations inspired two objectives: to support capacity-building for developing countries, both technically and scientifically, and to improve the dynamic of the science/policy interface.
Supporting capacity-building for developing countries
It was emphasised that many countries lack the capacity to implement action under the GBF and produce the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP) required.
Academic research could support capacity-building by providing a baseline database to inform the design of the NBSAP. The need for inclusivity in CBD processes was highlighted and CASCADE could be a way to promote this inclusivity.
It was also raised that technical support to local academic institutions could include the digitalisation of local databases for effective mobilisation.
Improving the dynamic of the science/policy interface
CASCADE needs to consider what didn’t work in previous similar projects to avoid repeating the same issues.
The need for effective communication between academics and policymakers was emphasised and the need to initiate new communication pathways. CASCADE faces the challenge of being “more than its parts” and keeping its momentum.
Finally, the necessity to present research outcomes to policymakers was considered paramount to create an avenue for discussion.
What’s next?
Our researchers are now looking towards the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Colombia at the end of October.
They will take on an urgent and ambitious package of work to deliver strategic research that supports the identified implementation and monitoring needs of the participating countries and strengthen existing international collaborations.
You might also like:
- find out more about the Convention on Biological Diversity
- discover more about threat mapping in our blog, Key knowledge gaps to address for reducing species extinction risk
- explore our research that influenced the GDF
- read about the convention’s Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)
- explore our School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
- find out more about our researchers:
