Notification 2024-061

Dear Sir or Madam,

Subsequent to notification 2024-036, dated 17 April 2024, an introductory exchange session on biodiversity and climate change was held on 13 May 2024, as a side-event on the margins of the twenty-sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. Co-moderated by Ms. Prudence Galega (Cameroon) and Mr. Scott Wilson (Canada), the rich discussion included scene-setting presentations on the status of work on biodiversity and climate change under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and recent developments on this nexus in related international fora. The ensuing discussions focused on identifying the key scientific and technical issues on biodiversity and climate change under the Convention, and considering the status of scientific and technical information, tools and guidance that can support the implementation of Targets 8 and 11 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Based on the reports from the breakout groups, the co-moderators identified the following three main priorities for further action:

1. Breaking the silos between science and policy on climate change and biodiversity, at the national and global levels;
2. Improving the exchange of information, data, and knowledge; and
3. Building capacity for integrating biodiversity and climate change priorities into national plans and strategies, in order to effectively mainstream all the knowledge available through the CBD. 

I am pleased to inform you that, building on the above conclusions, two online discussion sessions are being organized in July on the following topics:

Session 1: How to strengthen the science-policy interface on biodiversity and climate change at the national and global levels, including through collaboration between the Secretariats of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services?

Session 2: How to better coordinate climate and biodiversity actions at the national level?

A cross-cutting theme for both topics will consider how to build capacity and better share best practices, tools and guidance on joint climate and biodiversity actions.

These online sessions will be live and facilitated by the aforementioned co-moderators, with support from the CBD Secretariat. Each session will be held twice to accommodate different time zones. The sessions will be held in English only, and participation is voluntary. Please refer to the table in the annex for the schedules and registration links.

I look forward to your active participation in these sessions.

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

(Signed) David Cooper

Acting Executive Secretary

Annex

Online discussion sessions on biodiversity and climate change