Bridgingthegap.si

Biodiversity and ecosystem services

Given the continuing loss of biodiversity worldwide and the associated decline of ecosystem services, the German government proposed at the meeting of the G8+5 Environment Ministers in Potsdam 15-17 March 2007 a study on 'The economic significance of the global loss of biological diversity.' The study is co-sponsored by Germany and the European Commission with the objectives to:

Raise awareness amongst political leaders worldwide and the wider public about the economic benefits and values (use and non-use) of services provided by ecosystems around the world, to provide estimates of the economic costs that result from the decline of ecosystem services and losses in the stock of global biodiversity, and to compare the costs of reducing and halting such declines and losses with the costs of inaction.
Promote political decisions (at international and national levels) which reinforce current efforts to meet the commitments to significantly reduce the rate of loss of biodiversity worldwide by 2010 – and to halt the loss of biodiversity in the EU by 2010 – and which support the longer-term restoration of biodiversity and the maintenance of associated ecosystem services.

The first results of the study The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity are scheduled for publication by mid-May to feed into discussions at the 9th Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Biodiversity which will take place in Bonn, Germany from 19-30 May 2008.

This conference is organised by Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia in co-operation with the European Commission (DG ENV, DG RTD, DG JRC), the European Environment Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland, the Environment Agency for England and Wales and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

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