Closing the International Year of Biodiversity 2010

“How to better communicate the socio-economic value of biodiversity?”

A green future and benefits for all-Biodiversity and social responsibility
 
Biodiversity provides fundamental services, and goods to human beings which are too often taken for granted. Increased awareness of these benefits is crucial to ensuring action for their protection. 

Maximizing benefits and minimizing risks both for companies and consumers is part of any responsible policy. A well-designed and agreed market based approach is a necessary complement to regulatory and public policy.

During the Belgian Presidency, the Federal Public Service for the Environment, in cooperation with IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature organize the one day event “Closing the International Year of Biodiversity 2010: How to better communicate the value of biodiversity?” on 14 December 2010 at Bois du Cazier, Belgium.

The year 2010 has been a crucial year for biodiversity. It is the International Year of Biodiversity, as proclaimed by the United Nations, and the year when Belgium, holding the EU Presidency, led the EU in negotiations on the future of biodiversity policy at the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP10) in Nagoya, Japan.

Based on the outcomes of the COP, the Belgian Presidency will host a conference on the socioeconomic value of ecosystems to society.  This event will mark the closing of the International Year of Biodiversity and will launch a number of new multi-stakeholder initiatives.

The conference will also discuss the results of The Economics of Biodiversity and Ecosystems (TEEB) report. Which will build on the discussions (and forthcoming conclusions and recommendations) started during the Belgian Presidency on sustainable materials and resource efficiency, sustainable consumption and production patterns.

The aim of this event is to start translating the decisions taken in Nagoya into practical terms for “use on the ground” and the recommendations of TEEB into concrete and pragmatic commitments for companies, consumers, trade unions  and local actors - to increase their understanding of the socio-economic value of biodiversity for society.


The results of this conference will also contribute to the implementation of the Belgian federal plan 2009-2013 on integrating biodiversity in 4 key federal sectors (Economy, Development Cooperation, Science policy and Transport) with a focus on Economy.

Federal Public Service (FPS) Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
Eurostation II
Place Victor Horta, 40 box 10
1060 Brussels
Belgium

Phone: +32 (0)2 524.71.11

E-mail: belgianpresidency2010@health.fgov.be

Published on 29/11/2010 – Page last updated on 03/12/2010

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