The Call for Action is an open invitation for vertical integration of multi-levelgovernance to accelerate global ambitions in Biodiversity up to 2020 and beyond, inthe

“Sharm El-Sheikh to Beijing Action Agenda for Nature and People”

• Eight regions in eight countries are the first to take part in the Call for Action, which is open to other leading governments tojoin.
• Together, the regions that are promoting the call represent over 2800 municipalities and nearly 2 million km2 of territory. In aggregate at global level also through decentralized cooperation, regionsand

subnational governments invest at least the same volume of resources into biodiversity as the world’s 200 national governments.

• The document includes 5 commitments and opens doors for a global partnership between subnational governments and Parties to the CBD, political and technical leaders, and subnationalnetworks.
• Subnationalactionhasincreased50%inthelast5yearsinthemostrecentbiodiversitystrategiesand action plans and reports of the Parties to theConvention1.

Egypt, 22 November 2018 – Eight regions across the world launch the Subnational Coalition for Biodiversity Action an open call for collaboration and support of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) during COP14 to accelerate the implementation of the global biodiversity framework up to 2020 and beyond. The eight regions are: Aichi (Japan), Campeche2 (Mexico), Catalonia (Spain), Gossas (Senegal), Gangwon (South Korea), Palawan (Philipines), Québec (Canada) and São Paulo (Brazil).

The Subnational Coalition for Biodiversity Action is a milestone in National-subnational cooperation as a clear call for collaboration and support to the Parties while it reaffirms the subnational commitment towards the realization of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020 and beyond. The call for action includes five strategic commitments:

• Lead the development of Subnational Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (SNBSAPs) in alignment with, and as a complement to National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs);

• Maximize subnational efforts to implement tools, guidelines and nature-based solutions, as well as to exchange best practices and promote decentralized cooperation to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, the NBSAPs and the SNBSAPs;

• Mainstream biodiversity conservation in policies and practices for all economic sectors, under the frame of the 2030 Agenda and all its SDGs emphasizing 14 (Life in the Oceans) and 15 (Life on land);

• Mobilize and involve the entire range of civil society through communication, education and public awareness strategies at a subnational level, including the private sector, indigenous peoples, local communities and their traditional knowledge, as well as non-governmental organizations and academia;

• Actively engage with planning, monitoring and evaluation systems at a National and subnational level, as appropriate, to develop visions and goals, and to report on the progress of our actions in line with the reporting obligations of the Parties under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets for Biodiversity and their natural successors post-2020;

1 Key note speech of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Dr. Cristiana Paşca Palmer at the International Conference on Biodiversity: A Territorial Rights based Approach to Biodiversity, Cuenca, Ecuador, 21-22 June 2018. 2 Campeche is President to the Asociación Nacional de Autoridades Ambientales Estatales (ANAAE)- the Mexican association of subnational environmental authorities that gathers all Environmental Secretaries of State of Mexico.

Due to their strategic position and sphere of competence, regional governments are also key to ensure vertical integration of biodiversity policies from the urban level to the national, including on urban-rural linkages for sustainable use of productive landscapes, mainstreaming biodiversity into the economy, connectivity of ecosystems, awareness and inclusiveness of civil society and other stakeholders in biodiversity protection action.

They are also crucial in ensuring the coordination of the actions developed by all governmental levels and in translating global commitments into concrete territorial action.

“Subnational governments play a critical role for the Biodiversity Convention and for achieving the objectives of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. They manage the urban-rural linkages that contribute to sustainable use of biodiversity. Other attributes of subnational governments that are important to the Convention include vertical coordination of Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans between different levels of government, but also the design and operation of positive economic incentives, and greener businesses regulation” said Dr. Cristiana Pașca Palmer, UN Assistant Secretary general and Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

“The Subnational Coalition for Biodiversity Action urges regional governments and Parties to come together to amplify their collective ambition towards 2020 and ensure strong subnational component for the post 2020 biodiversity framework. The action plan enables the successful realization of previous CBD commitments – underscoring the importance of a joint task force’s role in making progress” said Natalia Vera, Secretary General of the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development

– nrg4SD.

The Subnational Coalition for Biodiversity Action is led by the Advisory Committee of Subnational Governments and Biodiversity (AC SNG) to the CBD, coordinated by the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development – nrg4SD, with the support of the CBD and ICLEI. The call for action embraces other initiatives equally crucial to the achievement of this ambition: the Regions for Biodiversity Learning Platform (R4BLP), led by nrg4SD and officially supported by the CBD; and the Group of Leading Subnational Governments toward Aichi Biodiversity Targets (GoLS), coordinated by the Government of Aichi. Both platforms provide technical capacity building and political support, respectively, to subnational governments seeking to make an impact.

“The Coalition gives life to the CBD Advisory Committee of Subnational Governments, in which nrg4SD plays a fundamental role as coordinator. Our efforts recall the importance of subnational action in mainstreaming biodiversity, especially by linking urban and rural areas through territorial and Ecosystem-Based Approaches.” HE Mr. Paul Carrasco, President South of nrg4SD and Prefect of the Province of Azuay, Ecuador.

“In2010,thePartiesofferedthesubnationalgovernmentsauniqueopportunitythroughDecisionX/22to play an active role in biodiversity global governance. Through the Advisory Committee of Subnational Governments for Biodiversity, we have taken the occasion to create a permanent platform with strong subnational leadership that actively contributes to the efforts of the CBD. The Advisory Committee just adopted a Plan of Action that actively engages the subnational governments towards a stronger participation in the post 2020 global Biodiversity framework and, as co-coordinator of the Committee, Québec is prepared to act in order to strengthen the involvement of subnational Governments in the new global biodiversity framework” said Mr. Jean Lemire, Special Envoy for Climate Change and Northern and Artic Issues, Government of Québec, Canada.

“The subnational governments play an increasing role for the biodiversity conservation while building new partnerships. São Paulo State, in Brazil, is finding new tools to link the day by day of people, companies and local governments, like the Economic Ecological Zonning, the creation of state protected areas and the integration of the main agendas, like SDGs, climate change and biodiversity.” HE Mr.

Eduardo Trani, Secretary of Environmental Affairs, State Government of São Paulo, Brazil.

“GoLS is a voluntary group of subnational governments making efforts to contribute to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The Subnational Coalition for Biodiversity Action, built by many subnational governments under the flag of the Advisory Committee, is an epoch-making step for all of us. We, GoLS will completely endorse and promote this initiative, which shares the exact same value with GoLS.” Hon. Mr. Hideaki Ohmura, Governor of Aichi, Japan.

NOTES TO EDITORS

PRESS CONFERENCE

22 November 2018 – 10:00 – 10:50 (UTC +2)

COP14 – M5 Press Conference Room, building 1

The event will be webcast live here: www.cbd.int/webcast. The webcasts are archived and can be accessed after the conference.

Other related events:

24 November 2018 – 14:30 – 16:00 (UTC +2)

Venue: Summit – Building 2

Focus Session 8: Roadmap for local and subnational mobilization towards CBD COP 15 (6th Global Biodiversity Summit of Local and Subnational Governments – COP14)

26 November 2018 – 13:15 -14:45 (UTC +2)

Venue: Summit – M7 Youth Room – Building 2

Side-event: Towards a New Deal for Nature and People: An Action Plan for Local and Subnational Governments- hosted under the auspices of the Global Partnership on Local and Subnational Action for Biodiversity.

25 November – 18:15 (UTC +2)

Side-event: “Regional governments: a cross-sectional approach to accelerate global ambitions in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”

Venue: Luxor – Asia and the Pacific Room, Building 2.

nrg4SD member regions will showcase regional experiences, tools and lessons learned regarding the integration of agendas to foster an integrated implementation of actions under the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda, other relevant international frameworks. The event will be an opportunity to reinforce the message included in the declaration RegionalGovernments – The Key to Mainstreaming Biodiversity Across Sectors.

26 November – 10:00-11:30 (UTC +2)

Side-event: “Regions for Biodiversity Learning Platform: Empowering Subnational Governments to Implement the CBD and the ABT through Innovation, Cooperation and Collaboration”.

Venue: CEPA Fair.

Members of the “Regions for Biodiversity Learning Platform” will share the results of the learning platform after two years of its creation through the presentation of the report titled “Global challenges, regional solutions: the Regions for Biodiversity Learning Platform, twoyears of lessons learned”

About the nrg4SD

The Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development – nrg4SD – is a global association that solely represents regional governments in the international agendas on climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development. It was established in 2002, at the World Summit in Johannesburg, and today has over 50 members from almost 30 countries in 4 continents. The nrg4SD serves as the voice of regional governments at UN negotiations, European Union initiatives and global discussions, advocating for recognition and supporting engagement of regional governments. It facilitates cooperation projects and partnerships between members, and with international experts and promotes expertise exchange, capacity building and knowledge transfer. nrg4SD is the coordinator of AC SNG and the Regions for Biodiversity Learning Platform, launched in 2016 during COP 13, with the official support of the CBD.

For more information: nrg4sd.org | @nrg4SD | #Regions4Biodiv | nrg4SD@nrg4sd.org

About the Advisory Committee on Subnational Governments and Biodiversity (AC SNG) 

The AC SNG was established in 2010, following CBD Decision X/22, from COP 10, in Nagoya, to support the Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for

Biodiversity (2011-2010), a landmark recognition to subnational governments and its contribution to the CBD. nrg4SD acts as the coordinator of the AC SNG, promoting dialogue among its members, the Parties and the Secretariat of the Convention to successfully implement the global biodiversity goals and targets.

Current members of the AC SNG are: Aichi (Japan), Andra Pradesh (India), Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes (Francia), Basque Country (Spain), Campeche (Mexico), Catalonia (Spain), Fatick (Senegal), Gangwon (South Korea), Goias (Brazil), Gossas (Senegal), Lombardy (Italy), North Rhine Westphalia (Germany), Ontario (Canada), Palawan (Philipines), Paraná (Brazil), Quebec (Canada), São Paulo (Brazil), Sichuan (China), Wales (UK) and Walga (Australia).

The Regions for Biodiversity Learning Platform (R4BLP) with the aim of fulfilling that need and improve collaboration among regional governments. Set to become the technical arm supporting the activities of the AC SNG, the learning platform builds on a solid expertise basis, envisaging to enhance the capacities of participant subnational governments and to generate opportunities for facilitated exchanges on key themes of the global biodiversity agenda.

About the ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – ICLEI is a network of more than 1,750 local and regional governments, supported by a team of global experts, driving sustainable urban development worldwide. Active in 100+ countries, ICLEI impacts over 25 percent of the global urban population.

ICLEI’s Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC) recognizes the crucial role that cities and other subnational governments play in the pursuit of a sustainable future, through efficiently mainstreaming biodiversity and nature-based solutions into urban development and planning at the local level.

Through its initiatives and programs, ICLEI CBC seeks local solutions to the complex issues surrounding natural capital and the degradation of ecosystem services in a rapidly urbanizing world. ICLEI CBC offers cities across the globe a broad portfolio of supportive services through a dedicated team of passionate, skilled and dynamic biodiversity and urban development experts.

For more information: iclei.org | @ICLEICBC | biodiversity@iclei.org

About the CBD – The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and entered into force in December 1993. The CBD is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. With 196 Parties, the Convention seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services through scientific assessments, the development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices and the full and active involvement of relevant stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community. Its Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada, and supports Parties in negotiations, implementation, exchanges and reporting. For more information: www.cbd.int | @CBDNews | #COP14

About the Group of Leading Subnational Governments toward Aichi Biodiversity Targets (GoLS) – GoLS was originally advocated by Aichi, Japan, and established in 2016 by six subnational governments which had been globally active since COP10. After launching its 1st statement at COP13, GoLS has continuously developed actions such as side events or comments to the Parties in occasions of SBSTTA or SBI. To SBI2 in July 2018, GoLS posted a “Voluntary Report on the Contribution of Subnational Governments for the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and Aichi Biodiversity Targets” as an official Information Document. To COP14, GoLS has launched the 2nd statement showing its will to commit the discussion on post 2020 global framework and to support ACSNG and

the “Subnational Coalition for Biodiversity Action”. Having two new members joined, now GoLS consists of eight members; Aichi, ANAAE, Campeche, Catalonia, Gangwon, Ontario, Québec and São Paulo.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Thais Ferraz – Communications Officer – tferraz@nrg4sd.org