Subnational Consultation on the Post-2020 global biodiversity framework

Consultation of Sub-National, Regional and Local Governments on their role in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework

Last update 07/09/2020.

The Edinburgh Workshop for Subnational, Regional and Local Governments on the development of the Post 2020 Framework was to be hosted by the Scottish Government, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, in Edinburgh on the 1-3 April 2020.

Due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19 the workshop is now held as an online event, called the “Edinburgh Process for Subnational and Local Governments on the development of the Post 2020 global biodiversity framework”, in short Edinburgh Process.

Structure

The Edinburgh Process is delivered through several online consultations - supported by online information sessions and a series of thematic webinars. The Edinburgh Process is part of the work programme of the Convention on Biological Diversity Open-ended Working Group for the development of the Post 2020 global biodiversity framework, as a partner event.

The process brings virtually together delegates from across the globe, representing all of the geographic groupings within the UN process, including representatives from Indigenous People and Local Communities, Women, Youth, NGOs and the business community.

The Edinburgh Process, although hosted by the Scottish Government, is supported by a number of Partner Organisation that are actively involved in the preparation and running of the event (see partners section).

Objectives of the Process
1. To update Subnational Governments, Cities and Local Authorities on the progress in developing the Post 2020 global biodiversity framework and the evidence base underpinning it;
2. To seek the views of Subnational Governments, Cities and Local Authorities on the development of the Post 2020 global biodiversity framework and their role in implementing it and feed these back into the CBD Open Ended Working Group;
3. To review and update the CBD Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (CBD Decision X/22) with the aim of adopting an new decadal plan at CBD Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Kunming; and
4. To develop the Edinburgh Declaration on the Post 2020 global biodiversity framework. This is a high level document setting out the aspirations of subnational governments, cities and local authorities for the post-2020 gbf; and our commitment to work alongside state parties in implementing the post-2020 gbf. This is now available on the Scottish Government website [insert hyperlink] and we invite signatures to the Declaration, signalling commitment for greater inclusion of the subnational constituency in delivering for nature across the coming decade.
Background

Subnational, regional and local governments are key agents in delivering actions to address global and local biodiversity loss and to help national governments achieve the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. They will be key actors in helping to achieve the commitments and targets set out in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The important role of subnational, regional and local governments for biodiversity is recognised by the Convention and particularly their significance in developing the post-2020 framework.

Subnational and regional governments are able to bring influence and specific expertise to their national counterparts (in some cases states Parties), whilst sitting closer to local delivery agents, i.e. Local Government, Nature and Conservation Agencies, and non-Governmental organisations (eNGO’s). Subnational and Regional Government can support effective mainstreaming of biodiversity through these relationships. It is through effective communication, harmonization of policies and programmes, and liaison arrangements between these layers of governance that the truly transformational changes needed to reverse the loss of biodiversity will be implemented. Thus it is important to develop meaningful engagement frameworks across all levels of government.
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More information

Further Details

Visit our YouTube channel for recordings of all online sessions and webinars.
The workshop will be conducted in English.
We invited a mix of official and political representatives from subnational, regional and local governments.

Edinburgh Process Programme


Upcoming events
Date	type	Host	Recording
August 2020 tbc	webinar to inform CBD parties about Edinburgh Process; tbc	EP partners	To be announced
SBI 3 tbc	side event; tbc	Scottish Government EP partners	To be announced


Online Consultations
Consultation period		Documents
30 April - 12 June 2020		1) Zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework
30 April - 12 June 2020		2) Review the Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities, and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity
26 June - 24 July 2020		3) Draft Edinburgh Declaration

Online Information Session 2
Date	Time	Host	Recording
02 July 2020	morning: 7- 8:30 am (BST)	ICLEI Japan / Group of Leading Subnational Governments (GoLS)	Information session 2: Asia/Pacific
02 July 2020	afternoon: 3 - 4:30 pm (BST)	Scottish Government	Information session 2: Africa/Europe/America
		Session 2- Video message from Oliver Hillel - CBD secretaria	Online session 2: Video message from Oliver Hillel

Thematic Webinars
Date	Theme	Host	Recording
12 May 2020	Monitoring and reporting tools	ICLEI Global	Thematic webinar on monitoring and reporting
19 May 2020	Links between Climate Change and Biodiversity	IDDRI	Thematic webinar: Links between climate change and biodiversity
22 May 2020	Nature Based Solutions	ICLEI Europe	Thematic webinar: Nature based solutions
04 June 2020	Resource Mobilisation	CoR - European Committee of the Regions	Thematic webinar: Resource mobilisation


Online Information Session 1
Date	Region	Host	Recording
05 May 2020	Europe/North America	Scottish Government	Europe/North America information session 1
06 May 2020	Africa	ICLEI Global	Africa online information session 1
07 May 2020	South America	Regions4	South America information session 1
08 May 2020	Asia/Pacific	ICLEI Japan / Group of Leading Subnational Governments (GoLS)	Asia/Pacific information session 1

Registration

For registration enquiries get in touch with enquiries-subnationalworkshop@gov.scot

Expression of Interest

Invitations for expressions of interest were issued through the CBD and subnational partners networks to sub-national Governments.

Registration

Officials and political representatives from subnational and local Governments received the Attendify registration link at the end of April 2020.

Edinburgh Process Partners

European Committee of the Regions (CoR)

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the voice of regions and cities in the European Union (EU). It represents local and regional authorities across the European Union and advises on new laws that have an impact on regions and cities (70% of all EU legislation). The CoR is a political assembly composed of 350 members and 350 alternates from all EU countries (grouped by political party and headed by the President) who have been elected at local or regional level (for example as Mayors or Presidents of a region). Members come to Brussels up to six times a year to debate their opinions on proposed legislation and agree on resolutions for further action by the EU.

Defra

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink. We recognise the close link between nature and climate change, and how protection and restoration of our environment can influence how we will be affected by the impacts of climate change in the future.

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

A global network of > 1,750 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. ICLEI's dedicated global Cities Biodiversity Center works with cities & other subnational governments across the world to mainstream biodiversity and nature-based solutions into urban planning and development at the local level and to advocate for the critical role of the local and subnational government constituency in the CBD, on behalf of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments.

ICLEI leads the Advisory Committee of Cities of the Global Partnership to the CBD and co-leads the subnational advisory committee towards a strong subnational participation in the post 2020 global biodiversity framework. Further, ICLEI is involved in the CBD Informal Advisory Group (IAG) on the Mainstreaming of Biodiversity, ICLEI hosts the “Local & Subnational Government engagement platform for advancing the Action Agenda for Nature and People and the post 2020 global biodiversity framework” and ICLEI hosts the CitiesWithNature, the official platform for local and subnational governments to connect and report on their ambitions and commitments to the Action Agenda for Nature and People, and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework endorsed by the CBD Secretariat.

We are working with two ICLEI Secretariats:

i) ICLEI Africa Secretariat (South Africa) – home ICLEI's Cities Biodiversity Center; biodiversity experts who have long worked with the CBD and with local and subnational governments on urban nature and biodiversity.
ii) ICLEI European Secretariat (Germany) – expertise in the implementation of innovative Horizon 2020 projects that utilise nature-based solutions for biodiversity action in Europe and beyond; EU Biodiversity advocacy (SG EU Hub engagement).

Government of Quebec

Both in Canada and internationally, the Government of Quebec is doing well in the field of biological diversity conservation. It has subscribed to the principles and objectives of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and has declared itself bound by it, by decree, since its adoption in 1992. Quebec thus undertook to implement the CBD within its territory and according to its competences, a commitment which has been translated into the adoption of numerous laws, policies, strategies and programmes over the years. Quebec is also the host of the Secretariat of the CBD since 1996.

The Government of Quebec also firmly believes in the importance of the role and action of subnational governments, federated states and regions in conserving biodiversity and fighting climate change. It participates in several networks of active subnational governments in biodiversity, and is currently coordinating – in collaboration with Regions4 – the Advisory Committee of Subnational Governments for biodiversity. M. Jean Lemire, Quebec’s Envoy for Climate Change and Nordic and Arctic Issues, is representing the Advisory Committee within the CBD and on the international scene.

Regions4

Regions4 (formerly known as the nrg4SD) is a global network that solely represents regional governments (states, regions and provinces) before UN processes, European Union initiatives and global discussions in the fields of climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development. Regions4 was established in 2002 at the World Summit in Johannesburg and currently represents 42 members from 20 countries in 4 continents. Through advocacy, cooperation and capacity building, Regions4 empowers regional governments to accelerate global action.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)

We are Scotland’s nature agency. We work to improve our natural environment in Scotland and inspire everyone to care more about it.

So that all nature in Scotland – our key habitats and landscapes, all our green space and our native species – is maintained, enhanced and brings us benefits.

It is the job of all of us to achieve a balance in the sensitive management of our natural world in order to maintain and enhance biodiversity.

Visit nature.scot for more information.

UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)

The UNEP-WCMC is a world leader in biodiversity knowledge. It works with scientists and policy makers worldwide to place biodiversity at the heart of environment and development decision-making to enable enlightened choices for people and the planet. Their international team are recognised leaders in their field and have unrivalled understanding of the institutional landscape surrounding biodiversity policy and ecosystem management. Based in Cambridge, UK, UNEP-WCMC operates as a collaboration between UN Environment Programme and the UK charity, WCMC. UNEP-WCMC works closely with the CBD and other international agreements and processes, and amongst other input will support the evidence base needed for our workshop. They have also produced a useful timeline of the lead-up to CBD COP15.

Welsh Government

The Welsh Government is the devolved government for Wales. Led by the First Minister, Mark Drakeford AM, it works across devolved areas including key areas of public life such as health, education and the environment. We recognise that our well-being of future generations are dependent upon the health of our natural resources and ecosystems. The Environment (Wales) Act 2016 ensures that we manage our natural resources sustainably and by doing so maintain and enhance our ecosystems to ensure they are able to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits, including nature based solutions to climate change adaptation and mitigation. As an active member of a number of international partnerships (The Climate Group , Regional for Sustainable Development (R4SD) and the IUCN), Wales is committed to working in partnership to tackle biodiversity loss, climate change and more broadly the support development in all regions to be sustainable.

Group of Leading Subnational governments toward Aichi Biodiversity Targets (GoLS)

In 2016, Governor Hideaki Ohmura of Aichi Prefecture advocated a group of leading subnational governments, which came to the GoLS at CBD COP13, which now consists of nine subnational governments, ANNAE & Campeche (Mexico), Catalonia (Spain), Gangwon (Korea), Jiangsu (China), Ontario & Quebec (Canada), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Aichi.

Since COP13, GoLS has launched two statements on the role of subnational governments and compiled some reports on specific initiatives by its members. It is now working on another report on vertical integration toward COP15.

Contact Details

For any questions or enquiries please email: enquiries-subnationalworkshop@gov.scot

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