The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Biodiversity Conference today opened in Cancun, Mexico, with a call to governments and businesses to integrate biodiversity into their practices if countries are to halt further environmental degradation and ensure the well-being and prosperity of future generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a tendency to look at issues in an isolated way, to seek solutions without studying the implications in other fields, to undertake quick fixes that disregard the consequences,\u201d the Executive Director of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD<\/a>), Dr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, told the High-Level Segment of the 13th Conference of the Parties of the CBD, also known as COP 13<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are often ineffective in our actions because actions taken in other domains are not aligned. We need to stop repeating the same mistakes over and over again. We need to advance coherence of our actions and policies in all areas. We need to be thoughtful and inclusive to successfully mainstream biodiversity within and across sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n Over 100 ministers are attending the COP13, and for the first time they include not just environment ministers but also from the sectors of forestry, tourism, agriculture and fisheries \u2013 sectors which depend, but also affect, countries\u2019 biodiversity.<\/p>\n A business forum is also being held to engage the private sector on this issue.<\/p>\n \u201cInvestment in biodiversity and ecosystems is essential in its own right and for human well-being,\u201d said the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Development Programme (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDP<\/a>) Administrator Helen Clark. \u201cThe evidence is clear: protecting, restoring and sustainably managing nature will yield high returns at low costs. Global investors are seeking environmental investment opportunities because it makes economic sense.\u201d<\/p>\n During the opening of the High-Level Segment, various Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ officials emphasized the relationship between biodiversity and tackling some of the most pressing issues that societies face today such as food security, climate change, and health.<\/p>\n Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO<\/a>) Maria Helena Semedo stressed that while agriculture practices in many parts of the world are leading to biodiversity loss, sustainable agriculture can help protect it.<\/p>\n \u201cAgriculture, forests and fisheries are key users of biodiversity and have enormous potential to protect it,\u201d she said. \u201cScientists increasingly recognize that the agriculture sector can contribute to the function of ecosystems \u2013 control of pests, pollinations, erosion of soil – if they\u2019re managed sustainably.\u201d<\/p>\n The Executive Secretary of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Framework Convention on Climate Change (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵFCCC<\/a>), Patricia Espinosa, highlighted the link between biodiversity and climate action. For example, coastal ecosystems are heavily impacted by climate change, but many also hold the key to address it, as is the case with mangroves, which can absorb large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe relationship between biodiversity and climate change needs to be more transparent in our negotiations going forward,\u201d Ms. Espinosa said, referring to negotiations of the Paris Agreement<\/a> on Climate Change, which entered into force last month. \u201cWe need different sectors of our societies to work together on these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n The Executive Director of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Environment Programme (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵEP<\/a>), Eric Solheim, emphasized that countries need to be more ambitious to do better, and that this can only happen if they work together.<\/p>\nInvestment in biodiversity and ecosystems is essential<\/em><\/h5>\n