Side Event

Life Redesigned: Synthetic Biology and the Risks to Biodiversity and Livelihoods

Organizer
Friends of the Earth US, ETC Group, EcoNexus, and the International Center for Technology Assessment

Date and Time
8 November 2011 13:15 - 14:45

Meeting
Fifteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice

COP 10’s request for SBSTTA to provide guidance and clarity on synthetic biology’s impact on biodiversity provides a unique opportunity to assess the risks of this emerging technology before many of the potential harms are actualized. From the creation of novel invasive species, synthetic genetic contamination, and requiring major shifts in land-use change, synthetic biology poses numerous challenges to the preservation of biodiversity and livelihoods that must be addressed before this field fully develops. This side event will provide an overview of synthetic biology technologies that are being used and an opportunity to discuss their implications for biodiversity and its sustainable use in preparation for the discussions on synthetic biology that will take place at SBSTTA-16.