European Biodiversity Day – Working together for biodiversity

Strasbourg, 28 April 2010

Speech by Gaye Doganoglu, President of the Committee on Sustainable Development - Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Session on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Mr Chairman,

Dear colleagues,

Dear friends,

I am delighted to address you again this afternoon and to see so many of us engaged and caring for biodiversity. I would particularly like to thank the previous speakers, Mrs Karin Zaunberger from the European Commission and Mr Lotman from the Parliamentary Assembly for their interesting and enlightening speeches on the concept of ecosystem services and their astonishing value. 

As many have already stressed, biodiversity is integral to our daily lives and it is about the essential resources which are needed for the health and well being of us all.

Biodiversity lies at the heart of any healthy ecosystem and the goods and services it provides. We still need to establish the real value of ecosystem services as they are vital to human life and are provided free of charge. These services include absorption of carbon dioxide and the provision of natural buffers that help manage erosion, drought and flood - all matters which are important to the development of our cities and regions.

Moreover, the inter-relation between climate change and biodiversity can also be looked at from the point of view of services and, as Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) said last December: “If climate change is the problem, then biodiversity is the solution”.

In the Congress, we are convinced of the need to care for biodiversity and to keep stable, well functioning local ecosystems because they contribute directly to local economic and social development and citizen’s well-being.

We also believe that the awareness of biodiversity in Europe and of ecosystem services is not high enough, that the utility of nature should be better understood. This is why events such as today’s are so important, it is not only an opportunity for us to share our experience but it is also an opportunity for us to take what we learn from today back to our home towns.

However, the protection of biodiversity is not just a question of culture and awareness. It requires a set of actions with adequate economic resources. The protection of biodiversity should not be understood as a cost but as an investment, and we should not forget that caring and conserving biodiversity brings free benefits and services for our society.

In situations of crisis, such as we are currently facing, we cannot neglect the protection of our natural environment, not only for ethical reasons but also economical and social. There are recent studies on the growing percentage of jobs in Europe which are directly, or indirectly, related to sustainable development. Policies for biodiversity can help combat the crisis, diversify economic activities, promote the creation of jobs and generate profits in rural, as well as in urban areas.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The reasons for biodiversity loss are well known, and the growing pressure on nature by humankind does not need to be proved anymore. As the level of government closest to citizens, local and regional authorities are crucially placed to influence the planet’s sustainability. The obligation of cities and regions to manage the natural environment is a duty but it is also a moral obligation because when we destroy nature we are depriving future generations of options for their survival and development.

Fostering biodiversity offers a wonderful opportunity for local and regional authorities to create new connections with their citizens and to redefine inhabitants’ relationship to their locality. All generations feel concerned by this issue and many different organisations and bodies are keen to participate in relevant activities. Many interesting projects and activities to change our behaviour and raise awareness about climate change and biodiversity loss have started at grassroots level with individuals or groups of citizens getting together.

Authorities need to build upon this enthusiasm and reinforce their partnerships with civil society. We need to encourage these bottom-up initiatives. Biodiversity does not know administrative boundaries, resolute cooperation is vital and policy making should involve all levels of governance and all stakeholders, it is a shared responsibility.

Moreover, regions, cities and towns do not have to fundamentally change the structure of their administrative or planning processes in order to put greater emphasis on biodiversity. Tackling the problem needs an integrated approach, meaning that biodiversity issues should be integrated into all areas of municipal and regional responsibility. These include, to name just a few, land use, urban and spatial planning, service provision for water and waste and very importantly - procurement - which is expected to be sustainable and more environmentally conscious.

The Congress has been working for several years on the contribution of local and regional levels to the challenges raised by climate change and biodiversity loss. Its Committee on Sustainable Development provides a forum and platform for sharing experience, research and good practice relating to the pressing environmental issues which all our countries, regions and cities have to take on with an ever-growing urgency.

We strongly believe that the proper management of the valuable natural assets in the field is essential and that it needs to be improved. The Congress will continue to assist local and regional authorities in this important task and lobby for the recognition of their key role in tackling biodiversity, climate change and in seeking a healthy, sustainable development.

Sustainability is not ecological idealism but a necessary reality to ensure ecosystem health. We have a responsibility in reversing the current negative trends and to improve information and knowledge on what they actually mean - economically, environmentally and ethically; our citizens will demand action.

We must continue in this way and we must join our forces because biodiversity loss concerns all of us.

Saving biodiversity is a crucial challenge because the environmental degradation which we are witnessing today will come back with a vengeance for our children and grandchildren. We cannot remain passive witnesses or bystanders; we must act now and together.