The worldwide effort to combat critical levels of biodiversity loss will fail without far greater involvement from local communities, according to an international declaration.
The “Edinburgh declaration”, published on Monday, urges leaders to work more closely with sub-national governments, indigenous peoples, national parks, local councils and wider society in meeting 20 biodiversity goals set out in the Aichi accord, signed in Nagoya, Japan, 10 years ago.
Those targets were due to have been met by 2020. None of them were, leaving global biodiversity in a parlous state, the statement says.
“The current approach is bust,” said Prof Des Thompson, principal science adviser at NatureScot, Scotland’s conservation agency, which oversaw the declaration process. “What we need to do is work with local communities, local governments and local communities – that’s how we’re going to meet those targets.”
The Declaration also recognises the need for transformative change across terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and across urban development and all productive sectors to ensure enhanced food security, human health and sustainable livelihoods whilst avoiding, mitigating or minimising the negative impact on biodiversity.
Published by the Scottish government after a series of online conferences, the declaration has been signed by a core group of local politicians and conservation bodies from Scotland, Wales, Quebec, Germany, Sweden, the Basque country in Spain, and Japan.
The Edinburgh declaration, which will now be opened to signatories worldwide, says its supporters are “deeply concerned about the significant implications that the loss of biodiversity and climate change has on our livelihood and communities. The impacts on our environment, infrastructure, economy, health and wellbeing, and our enjoyment of nature are already visible. Indeed, the Covid-19 global pandemic has reminded us how important it is to live in harmony with nature.”
No Comment