## Biodiversity

“Biodiversity” refers to the abundance of life, including the many living things that populate the earth, the ecosystems that connect and balance them, and the characteristics of the genes that living organisms transmit from the past to the future.

Biodiversity

Diversity of ecosystems

The existence of forests, wetlands, rivers, coral reefs, and a variety of other environments

Diversity of species

The existence of animals, plants, bacteria, microbes, and many other living organisms (Estimated number of species of organism on the earth: 5 million to 30 million)

Diversity of genes

The existence of organisms that are resistant to dryness and heat, organisms that are resistant to disease, and a variety of other differences between individual organisms with the same species

Because living organisms have no national borders, and it is necessary for the entire world to deal with the issue of biodiversity, the “Convention on Biological Diversity” was created.

Objectives: Parties to the Convention work to achieve the maintenance and sustainable use of biodiversity through (i) the conservation of biological diversity, (ii) the sustainable use of its components, and (iii) the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, through provision of economic and technological assistance from the allocating developed countries to developing countries.

The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10) and the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (MOP 5) were held in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture for a period of approximately three weeks in October 2010. Over 13,000 people participated in COP 10, including representatives from 179 Party countries, international organizations, NGOs, and native populations.

In addition, approximately 350 side events were hosted simultaneously by local public entities, NGOs, and private businesses, attracting over 118,000 visitors.

## $ ^{*} $ REDD

REDD is a concept for reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by the deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, by setting the reference levels, based on the past trend, and giving the incentives to developing countries like financing to achieve reduction. “REDD+” refers to such efforts that also include preservation of forests, sustainable forest management, and increase of forest carbon accumulation.

## $ ^{*} $ Aichi Biodiversity Targets

They are also called the "Post 2010 Biodiversity Targets." The medium/long-term goal is to achieve harmony between humans and nature by 2050, with a short-term target of implementing actions to stop the loss of biological diversity by 2020. The Targets consist of 20 individual goals, including the designation and preservation of at least 17% of land areas and 10% of ocean areas as protected areas.

## $ ^{*} $ Cartagena Protocol

The Cartagena Protocol came into force in 2003. It stipulates measures to ensure sufficient protections related to safe transfer, handling, and the use of living modified organisms, to prevent living modified organisms which moved across borders from being released into the nature and adversely affect on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

## $ ^{*} $ Building a Low-Carbon Society

This refers to the achievement of the society with low-carbon emissions through the use of Japan's advanced environmental technologies including the introduction of high-efficiency power station, sustainable forest management, promotion and improvement of systems related with energy-saving, renewable energy, and waste management.

## * Nagoya Protocol

A protocol regarding ABS (access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources). It requires the users of genetic resources (plants, animals, and microbes that lead to the development of products such as food and pharmaceuticals) to distribute the benefits of such use to the providers of those resources in a fair manner.

## * Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol

The Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol specifies "liability and redress" (who is responsible) and stipulates the implementation of response measures such as measures to prevent loss and measures for restoration that must be implemented by the responsible parties, when the maintenance of biodiversity, etc., has been adversely affected by the import and export of genetically modified organisms.