Jean-Claude Jacques

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Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss New
Opportunities for EU Development Cooperation
Why?
Jean-Claude Jacques Director, EU Liaison
Office IUCN Regional Office for Europe
The World Conservation Union
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• Climate change a critical issue for least
  developed countries
• Recent hurricanes in Guatemala, Mexico and the
  Caribbean
• Desertification in sub-Sahara Africa
• Floods in Bangladesh

Climate change could lead to vast displacement
of populations, including in regions close to
Europe
Is it possible to finance development without
taking such an issue into account?
The World Conservation Union
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Biodiversity and ecosystem loss a critical
issue for all developing countries
Ecosystems provide water, wood, fish, bushmeat,
medicines and plants, which local and indigenous
communities mainly rely on for their day-to-day
life
But

• 60 of ecosystems are degraded or no longer
  sustainably used
• 35 of mangroves and 20 of coral reefs have
  been lost
• Species extinction rates are estimated to be
  between 100 and 1,000 times higher than the
  natural extinction rate

Is it possible to finance development without
taking such an issue into account?
The World Conservation Union
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But biodiversity loss is also worsening climate
change
Deforestation accounts for 20 of global CO2
emissions, making Indonesia the third highest
emitter globally, after the USA and China.
Is it possible to finance development without
taking such an issue into account?
The World Conservation Union
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Climate change and biodiversity loss are still
not on the Development Cooperation agenda
WHY?
Council Conclusions (December 2006) welcoming the
Message from Paris (Biodiversity in European
Development Cooperation) Mainstreaming of
ecosystem services and biodiversity in
development cooperation programming .... must be
founded on national and regional ownership ...
The World Conservation Union
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Ecosystem services and climate change are still
not priority issues in countries which face so
many other development priorities. HOW can these
issues be given higher priority on the
development agendas of partner countries?
The World Conservation Union
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1. Drastically revise the current strategyfor the
   integration of the environment into EU
   development cooperation

• Recognize that climate change and ecosystem
  services are a central pillar to sustainable
  development and need addressing systematically in
  bilateral development cooperation agreements
• Make all environmental documentation in the EC
  programming process publicly available, to
  stimulate local ownership and governance
• Use political dialogue to raise the profile of
  environmental issues during the programming
  process

The World Conservation Union
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2. Fully implement existing commitments

• EU Action Plan on Climate Change and Development
  (2004)
• European Consensus on Development (2006)
• Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 and
  beyond (2006)

AND
The World Conservation Union
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Follow up the Message from Paris and Council
Conclusions (2006)

• Include biodiversity and ecosystem services in
  policy dialogue processes with partner countries
  and regions
• Help partner countries and regions mainstream
  biodiversity into development strategies and
  plans
• Strengthen civil society and develop capacity
  building programmes

The World Conservation Union
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• Poverty Reduction and Environmental Governance
  Initiative (PREGI)
• A response to the Message from Paris presented
  by IUCN and partner organisations
• Addressing the challenge of helping 7 partner
  countries (Algeria, Armenia, Bolivia, DR Congo,
  Mali, Nepal and Lao 1 OCT (Mayotte)) 3
  regional integration organisations (African
  Union, ASEAN, Andean Community) to mainstream
  biodiversity and climate change into their
  development agendas
• Enhancing dialogue at country level between
  governments and civil society

The World Conservation Union
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Poverty Reduction and Environmental Governance
Initiative (PREGI)

• Supporting the EC and EU Member States in better
  mainstreaming biodiversity and climate change
  into development cooperation programming
• Identifying financial mechanisms which ensure
  the sustainable management of natural resources
• Disseminating lessons learnt

The World Conservation Union
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Poverty Reduction and Environmental Governance
Initiative (PREGI)

• Total duration of 5 years
• Starting late 2007
• Seeking financial support from EC and EU Member
  States
• Support and involvement of the EP will be highly
  needed!

See http//countdown2010.net/paris2006/
The World Conservation Union
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Thank you for your attention!
www.iucneurope.org http//countdown2010.net/paris2
006 jean-claude.jacques_at_iucn.org
The World Conservation Union