Notification 2023-043

Dear Madam/Sir,

In decision 15/30, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity requested Parties, and invited other Governments and international organizations, to submit their views and information on biodiversity and climate change.

Pursuant to the above decision, I would like to invite Parties, other Governments and international organizations to submit their views and information no later than 26 May 2023. Please note that submissions should be sent through an official letter addressed to the Executive Secretary by e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int. 

When submitting information and views, Parties and other Governments and international organizations may wish to take note of previous decisions on biodiversity and climate change (see annex).

Submissions will be compiled and made available to the twenty-fifth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice for further review of the item on biodiversity and climate change on the basis of these views and information, as well as relevant scientific and technical information on biodiversity and climate change.

Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

David Cooper

Acting Executive Secretary

Annex

Previous decisions on biodiversity and climate change

• Decision VII/15 which, inter alia, encouraged Parties to take measures to manage ecosystems so as to maintain their resilience to extreme climate events and to help mitigate and adapt to climate change;
• Decision IX/16 which, inter alia, urged Parties to enhance the integration of climate change considerations related to biodiversity in their implementation of the Convention with the full and effective involvement of relevant stakeholders and considering changing consumption and production models;
• Decision X/33 which, inter alia, invited Parties and other Governments, according to national circumstances and priorities, as well as relevant organizations and processes, to consider the guidance provided in the decision on ways to conserve, sustainably use and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services while contributing to climate-change mitigation and adaptation. This included guidance on: assessing the impacts of climate change on biodiversity; reducing the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and biodiversity-based livelihoods; ecosystem-based approaches for adaptation; ecosystem-based approaches for mitigation; and reducing biodiversity impacts of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures;
• Decision XI/19 which, inter alia,  urged Parties, other Governments, and relevant organizations to fully implement the relevant provisions and decisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in a coherent and mutually supportive way;
• Decision XII/20 which, inter alia, acknowledged that, while biodiversity and ecosystems are vulnerable to climate change, the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the restoration of ecosystems can play a significant role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, combating desertification and disaster risk reduction, and encouraged Parties and invited other Governments and relevant organizations to promote and implement ecosystem-based approaches to climate change related activities and disaster risk reduction, in both terrestrial and marine environments;
• Decision XIII/4 which, inter alia, encouraged Parties and other Governments, when developing their Nationally Determined Contributions and, where appropriate, implementing associated domestic measures, to fully take into account the importance of ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, including oceans, and the protection of biodiversity, and to integrate ecosystem-based approaches, and recognized that ecosystem-based approaches can be technically feasible, politically desirable, socially acceptable, economically viable and beneficial and that implementation and investment into these approaches are, in general, increasing at the international and national levels. The decision also encouraged Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to integrate ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction, into their strategic planning across sectors;
• Decision 14/5 which, inter alia, recognized that climate change is a major and growing driver of biodiversity loss, and that biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, significantly contribute to climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction. Through this decision, the Conference of the Parties also adopted the voluntary guidelines for the design and effective implementation of ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and encouraged Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations, taking into account domestic priorities, circumstances and capabilities, to make use of the voluntary guidelines, in line with the ecosystem approach, when designing and implementing ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, recognizing that this may also jointly contribute to climate change mitigation.