C 132/6
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
24.3.2022
Wednesday 6 October 2021
X.
whereas the EU has put forward strong ecological commitments and targets with the European Green Deal, but the total ecological footprint of the EU remains high, which has negative consequences for the environment in developing countries; whereas the EU Biodiversity Strategy aims to achieve a situation in which all of the world’s ecosystems have been restored, resilient and adequately protected by 2050, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and expresses commitment to the objective of ending human-induced extinction of species by 2050, guided by intergenerational responsibility and the principle of equality, including respect for the rights, and the full and effective participation of IPLC; whereas the strategy of the EU and its Member States in support of developing countries should be designed to anticipate the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss;
Y.
whereas biodiversity is crucial for food security, human well-being and development worldwide; whereas the benefits that humans derive from ecosystems include, among other things, the purification of water and air, pest and disease control, crop pollination, soil fertility, genetic diversity, fresh water provisioning, flood protection, carbon sequestration and resilience to climate change; whereas forests harbour more than 75 % of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and more than 25 % of the world’s population rely on forest resources for their livelihoods; whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted areas of inequality across agri-food systems and the necessity of adapting and improving smallholder production sustainably in developing countries, of transforming agri-food systems and of reorienting agriculture towards climate sustainability;
Z.
whereas the IPCC special report on climate change and land of 8 August 2019 demonstrates that indigenous peoples have a long record of adapting to climate variability, drawing on their traditional knowledge, which enhances their resilience;
AA. whereas the IPCC special report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate of 24 September 2019 equally gives evidence of the benefits of combining scientific with local and indigenous knowledge to ensure resilience;
AB. whereas Article 8(j) of the CBD commits States parties to respect and maintain the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities, which are relevant for conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity; whereas the CBD, however, fails to contain explicit recognition of the human rights of indigenous peoples;
AC. whereas the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that about 75 % of genetic diversity in plants has been lost worldwide, while 75 % of the world’s food is now generated from only 12 plants and five animal species, which poses a serious risk to global food security;
AD. whereas the loss of genetic diversity, especially the replacement of local, well-adapted breeds, increases vulnerability to pests, diseases and environmental changes, including climate change; whereas the market globalisation of agriculture has been a reinforcing driver of such agricultural biodiversity erosion, which means less capacity to innovate and adapt to climate change;
AE. whereas it is estimated that globally, 30 % of threats to species are due to international trade;
AF. whereas illegal wildlife trade and illegal trade in timber and raw materials can accelerate the degradation and destruction of biodiversity in countries with weak institutions and environmental regulations;
AG. whereas oceans are huge reservoirs of biodiversity and the primary regulator of the global climate; whereas their conservation is critical to sustainable development and to poverty eradication, providing sustainable livelihoods and food security for billions of people; whereas the pollution of marine ecosystems with plastics is both a global and a local problem with potentially severe consequences for wildlife, economic activities and human health in developing countries; whereas the scale of this pollution has been greatly underestimated and knowledge gaps persist, in particular of impacts on coastal lands and communities; whereas according to the recent UN Environment Programme