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SBSTTA 16 Recommendation XVI/13

XVI/13.Biofuels and biodiversity

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice recommends that the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting adopt a decision along the following lines:
The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling decisions IX/2 and X/37, in which the Conference of the Parties decided, inter alia, to consider ways and means to promote the positive and minimize or avoid the negative impacts of the production and use of biofuels on biodiversity,
Acknowledging concerns that deployment of biofuels technologies may result in increased demand for biomass and aggravate drivers of biodiversity loss, such as land-use change, introduction of invasive alien species, bearing in mind paragraph 6 of decision X/38 of the Conference of the Parties, and resource over-consumption,
Also acknowledging the potential for biofuels technologies to make a positive contribution to mitigating climate change, another of the main drivers of biodiversity loss, and generating additional income, especially in rural areas,
Recalling the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation),
Further recognizing that the consideration of the issues covered by decision X/37, paragraph 2, are important to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets,
1.Welcomes the efforts of many Parties, relevant organizations and initiatives in developing and applying tools and approaches to promote the positive and minimize or avoid the negative impacts of biofuels on biodiversity and impacts on biodiversity that affect positively or negatively related socio-economic conditions, including food and energy security, as well as the consideration of land tenure and resource rights, including water, and encourages continuing efforts in these regards;
2.Invites Parties:
(a)To consider relevant biofuels matters, when and if appropriate, when updating and implementing their national and subnational biodiversity strategies and action plans, and other relevant policies;
(b)To consider the use of various relevant voluntary tools regarding the impact of the production and use of biofuels on biodiversity, such as in strategic environment and socio-economic assessment and integrated land-use planning in accordance with national circumstances; and
(c)To recall the invitation to Parties, acknowledging different national conditions, other governments and relevant organizations in decision X/37, paragraph 7;
3.Welcomes the current work being undertaken regarding decision X/37, paragraph 7 and encourages Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to continue this work;
4.Invites Parties, and other Governments, to make information on progress in responding to paragraphs 2 (a), (b) and (c), above, widely available, and invites Parties to also report on this in their fifth national reports where feasible;
5.Recognizing that some incentive measures can be significant drivers of biofuels expansion, in certain circumstances, invites Parties and other Governments to evaluate these measures using the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, in the context of the Convention's cross-cutting issue on incentive measures, taking into account national socio-economic conditions;
6.Also recognizing the rapidly developing technology associated with biofuels, urges Parties and other Governments to monitor these developments, and recalls decision IX/2, paragraph 3 (c) (i), which urged Parties and invited other Governments, inter alia, to apply the precautionary approach in accordance with the preamble of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
7.Takes note of the progress report of the Executive Secretary, on his work in response to decision X/37, submitted to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/14), and requests the Executive Secretary to continue to compile information, inter alia, on gaps in available standards and methodologies identified in the work undertaken in paragraph 11 of decision X/37;
8.Takes note:
(a)Of gaps in our scientific knowledge of biofuels and in relevant tools and approaches, and remaining uncertainties, in particular the inherent difficulty of measuring and addressing indirect impacts of biofuels on biodiversity; and
(b)That many technical and scientific issues with biofuels are difficult to assess and that they are relevant to many programmes of work of the Convention, in particular the Ecosystem Approach, and that these may be addressed in a broader context;
9.Requests the Executive Secretary, as part of his ongoing work in regard to decision X/37, in collaboration with Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations, and considering ongoing work, to compile information on relevant definitions of relevant key terms to enable Parties to implement decisions IX/2 and X/37, and to report on progress to a meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice prior to the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;
10.Decides to review progress on the implementation of decisions IX/2 and X/37 at its twelfth meeting.

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  • United Nations
  • United Nations Environment Programme