Richness of the earth is decreasing dramatically - worldwide loss of biodiversity

Attempts to stop biodiversity loss have failed at an international level. This devastating knowledge, along with a summary of the most recent developments throughout the world, was described in the current report from the UN Secretariat on biodiversity: the Global Diversity Outlook 3. In the International Year of Biodiversity and at the forefront on the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) on biological diversity in Nagoya, Japan, the international community again, after the disappointing results at the climate summit in Copenhagen, failed to develop and enforce effective solutions for a growing worldwide problem.

The alarming increase of extinct species can be mainly attributed to the destruction of tropical forests for road construction, the illegal logging and mining of natural resources such as crude oil and natural gas, the spread of cattle farming and the cultivation of soy and palm oil crops. Climate change aggravates the species extinction. According to Professor Joseph Alcamo, the head scientist of the UNEP, over 30% of animal populations, 20% of mangroves and sea grasses and 40% of coral reefs have become extinct since 1970. This also puts the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at risk because biodiversity is an important element in sustainable development and poverty reduction.

COICA (Coordination Body of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin), Climate Alliance’s indigenous partner organisation, stressed the relationship between climate change and the increasing destruction of their natural habitats in a statement from the climate summit in Bolivia. The statement read, “Our concern as indigenous peoples worldwide is that we are not directly responsible for climate changes and yet we are the main victims of its negative effects: desertification, forced migration, loss of biodiversity, hunger and loss of our identity. Environmental reparations need to be made to make up for the damages caused by humans.”

To better protect the global climate and biodiversity, Climate Alliance is supporting the Yasuní-ITT initiative of the Ecuadorian government. With this initiative, Ecuador has agreed to leave oil in the ground of its largest oil field, which is located directly under Yasuní National Park. In return, the international community will provide half of the lost revenue in the form of a trust fund that will be used to finance Ecuador’s national parks and energy systems.

This proposal gained international attention since it was created by a country with an economy dependent on the sale of oil. The proposal calls upon the international community to support countries like Ecuador in their efforts to protect important environmental areas. The Yasuní National Park is an area with the highest biodiversity in the world and it was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1989.

At the International Annual Conference and General Assembly of Climate Alliance in April 2010 in Perugia, Italy, participants passed a resolution that invites the EU and its member states to financially support the Yasuní initiative.

Additional information:

Climate Alliance Resolution to protect the Yasuní initiative:
http://www.klimabuendnis.org/resolutions0.html

For a full report from the UN:
http://gbo3.cbd.int

The “Climate Alliance of European Cities with Indigenous Rainforest Peoples” is Europe’s largest city network dedicated to climate protection. Since 1990, more than 1500 cities and municipalities have joined and made the commitment to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent every five years. Climate Alliance’s European Secretariat helps its members by providing methods and tools to efficiently implement local climate change policies and to evaluate the achievements in terms of CO2 emissions reductions. It also promotes the exchange of experiences and lobbies for improved framework conditions at national, European and international levels.

Climate Alliance cooperates with indigenous peoples for the conservation of the tropical rainforests. Partner is COICA, the coordination of the nine national indigenous organisations in the Amazon basin.

Climate Alliance / Klima-Bündnis / Alianza del Clima e.V.
European Secretariat
Galvanistr. 28, D-60486 Frankfurt am Main
Tel. +49-69-717139-0, Fax 069-717139-93
europe@climatealliance.org
http://www.climatealliance.org

Angela Hanisch
Tel. +49-69-717139-12, a.hanisch@climatealliance.org

This release was published on openPR.