Calls for global biodiversity action at all levels.
The Scottish Government is leading a global push to ensure action is taken at all levels to protect biodiversity.
A statement of intent, known as The Edinburgh Declaration, has been agreed between subnational, regional and local governments across the world and calls on the Convention on Biodiversity to take bold action to halt biodiversity loss.
It also calls for greater prominence be given to the role subnational governments, cities and local authorities play in delivering a new global framework of targets, set to be agreed next year.
The Programme for Government 2019/20 committed to take account of the new post-2020 international biodiversity framework as part of work to address biodiversity loss. The Edinburgh Declaration is the result of a year-long collaboration across international governments and organisations. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Scotland’s commitment to host and lead an international workshop to drive these discussions moved to a ground-breaking online format over the summer.
Chief Executive of NatureScot Francesca Osowska said: “The Edinburgh Declaration puts Scotland on the international stage, a clear sign of our intent to tackle biodiversity loss and protect nature. This isn’t just about conservation, enriching our nature is also part of the solution to the climate emergency and is a vital part of a green recovery from Covid-19. Global targets for nature and climate change aren’t just set by nation states - it also needs the world’s subnational governments, agencies - and all of us - to push for transformational change.”
The Edinburgh Declaration is available to view on the Scottish Government website.
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Posted On: 01/09/2020