Biodiversity conservation in Switzerland: Progress made does not suffice

Bern, 06.09.2010 - Switzerland’s efforts to conserve its biodiversity have produced initial successes, especially in forests and agricultural areas. The target set by the international community, however, namely to achieve a significant reduction of the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, has not been met. This is the conclusion of the fourth report submitted by Switzerland on 6 September 2010 to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

As a party to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Switzerland has committed to reporting regularly on the state of its biodiversity and on the measures taken to conserve it and comply with international commitments. Based on the available data on and monitoring of biodiversity and its anticipated trends in coming years, Switzerland concedes in its 4th report to the CBD that it did not slow biodiversity loss sufficiently by 2010. Switzerland has thus failed - as have most other countries - to meet the declared target of the international community for 2010. Similarly, most of the sub-goals, such as promoting the conservation of ecosystems and habitats, promoting the conservation of species diversity, and promoting the sustainable use and consumption of biodiversity, have not been attained (see Factsheet 1).

Progress has indeed been made, especially in forests and agricultural areas. This does not suffice, however, to assure the long-term maintenance of species diversity. New instruments have been developed in the recent past, such as the parks of national importance and the new system of financial equalisation and division of tasks between the Confederation and the cantons (NFA). Yet these will only start to have an effect after some time. As a further measure, Switzerland is currently developing a national biodiversity strategy.

Raising awareness of the key role of biodiversity for human livelihoods

The report further spotlights 5 priority fields in which measures need to be taken to improve the present situation: securing space for biodiversity of sufficient quantity and good quality; taking greater account of biological diversity and the services rendered by ecosystems in sectoral policies such as agricultural policy, spatial planning and tourism development; involving the private sector; raising the awareness of the public and of society as a whole of the key role played by biodiversity in underpinning our livelihoods; and, finally, international biodiversity policy needs to be stepped up, giving particular attention to the sustainable use of biological diversity worldwide.

International biodiversity conference in October 2010

Together with the other 192 parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, Switzerland will render account on its efforts to conserve biodiversity at the biodiversity summit in Nagoya, Japan. To be held from 18 to 29 October 2010, this seminal meeting will set the course of global biodiversity conservation policy over the medium and long term (i.e. to 2020 and to 2050). Previously, on 22 September 2010, the 65th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations will meet in New York to discuss biodiversity in a special debate.


Address for enquiries

Robert Lamb, Rio Conventions Section, FOEN, Tel. +41 31 324 49 89
Franz Perrez, Head of the International Affairs Division, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, + 41 (0)79 251 90 15



Publisher

Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/en

https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-34972.html