How to be part of the Plan
This is an ambitious plan to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Its implementation requires a whole-of-society approach.
National governments adopted the Biodiversity Plan. Now is the time for implementation. The clock is ticking.
Governments are expected to implement the Biodiversity Plan that their representatives adopted at COP 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
A crucial first milestone in the implementation process is to align national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) with the Biodiversity Plan. These revised NBSAPs will demonstrate how a country will implement the Biodiversity Plan and provide indications on how implementation will happen at the national level.
NBSAPs are crucial because they will outline how the global Biodiversity Plan and each of its 23 targets will be realized in national laws, regulations and measures. By doing so, NBSAPs will drive progress in the pursuit of the four goals of the Biodiversity Plan—(A) protect and restore; (B) prosper with nature; (C) share benefits fairly; (D) invest and collaborate.
Citizens and civil society: a quick guide on what you can do to be part of the Plan.
Has your country submitted its NBSAP? Click here to view NBSAP submissions. Governments are accountable for the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan, but everyone has a role to play, including you.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of steps you can take to be part of the Plan:
Protect and restore
- Add new healthy or local foods to your diet. Moderate consumption of meat and fish reduces pressure on natural resources. Consume fruit and vegetables in season.
- Reduce waste by shopping sensibly. Compost food waste. Repair, re-use and recycle anything from home appliances to clothing.
- Learn how your use of chemicals (example: chemicals contained in detergents, pesticides and cosmetics) affects biodiversity and use this knowledge to adopt environmentally friendly alternatives.
Prosper with nature
- Choose fresh produce from local markets and support bio-products. Favor products with fair trade certifications or eco-friendly labels when making purchasing decisions.
- Support and promote ecological tourism. Your next adventure does not have to leave a giant carbon footprint: consider nearby destinations. Explain the value of biodiversity to those around you. There is plenty of fun to be had while avoiding activities that disturb fauna and flora.
Share benefits fairly
- Learn about the concept of benefit-sharing that is enshrined in Article 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol that complements it.
- Respect the knowledge, practices and innovations of indigenous peoples and local communities in relation to biodiversity and recognize their rights to land and resources.
Invest and collaborate
- Enquire about corporate social responsibility policies before buying a company’s products. Invest in green businesses or start a green business of your own.
- Engage with political officials from your region and/or with local representatives (example: the Member of Parliament for your region and/or the mayor of your city) and request information on what the authorities are doing to implement the Biodiversity Plan.
Women and girls are half of society. Gender equality is part of the Plan.
Women play critical roles in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, ecosystem restoration and environmental justice. The Biodiversity Plan recognizes that successful implementation will depend on ensuring gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, and on reducing inequalities.
Target 23 of the Biodiversity Plan aims to ensure gender equality through a gender-responsive approach, recognizing the equal rights and access to land and natural resources for women and girls, and their full, equitable, meaningful, and informed participation and leadership at all levels of action, engagement, policy, and decision-making processes related to biodiversity.
The Biodiversity Plan is accompanied by a very ambitious Gender Plan of Action. This sets out concrete actions to be taken by all actors to enable women and girls to fully participate and contribute to the implementation processes.
Young people’s choices and actions can accelerate the transformational change we need.
If you are a young person and you would like to be part of the Plan, there is plenty you can do. From talking about the value of biodiversity to your peers to persuading your parents to stop using pesticides in your garden, your actions—however small—matter and will inspire others around you.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of steps you can take to be part of the Plan:
Protect and restore
- Start a campaign about a bird, mammal, amphibian, plant, pollinator, or any species of your choosing and explain what role they play in the local ecosystem. Learn about genetic diversity and take time to explain it to your friends and peers.
- Find out how scientists and farmers are safeguarding seeds and animal breeds for present and future generations. Read the labels and learn about the impact that chemicals contained in common household products have on biodiversity. Advise your family and friends on environmentally friendly alternatives.
Prosper with nature
- Be the change you want to see in the world: recycle, reuse and reduce waste. Consume food from your local market. Try growing fruit and vegetables at home or encourage your friends and neighbors to set up a community garden in your area.
- Find alternatives to fast fashion. More durable clothing reduces carbon emissions, pollution from chemicals used in dyeing and the release of microplastics to the ocean.
Share benefits fairly
- Learn about the concept of benefit-sharing that is enshrined in Article 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol that complements it.
- Discuss with your grandparents or elders in your community about the type of foods they used to eat. Ask them about how the food was found and cooked.
- Value and respect the knowledge, practices, and innovations of indigenous peoples and local communities in the field of biodiversity conservation. You can do so by embracing safeguards such as the principle of free, prior, and informed consent to access their knowledge.
Invest and collaborate
- Adopt more sustainable practices when choosing hobbies, means of transportation, energy sources, foods, clothes, and other products.
- Join a youth organization/movement/network/community that is working on biodiversity protection and restoration or help other groups integrate biodiversity-related issues in their work.
Recognizing the contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities is essential.
Indigenous peoples and local communities are the custodians of biodiversity and hold invaluable knowledge, innovations, and practices that have sustained ecosystems for generations. Recognizing and respecting their contributions towards the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and their rights is essential.
- Promote the recognition and respect of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities over their indigenous and traditional territories.
- Support restoration projects led by indigenous peoples and local communities, such as reforestation or habitat preservation initiatives, to revitalize ecosystems and promote biodiversity conservation.
- Protect and encourage customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities, such as traditional farming techniques and community-managed conservation areas, which have sustained ecosystems for generations.
- Implement policies and mechanisms to ensure that indigenous peoples and local communities receive their fair share of benefits arising from the use of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources. This includes establishing transparent benefit-sharing agreements and monitoring mechanisms to track the distribution of both monetary and non-monetary benefits.
- Establish knowledge-sharing platforms and networks for traditional knowledge into biodiversity conservation and sustainable use efforts. These platforms will serve as vital channels for indigenous peoples and local communities to foster collaboration and enable their participation in addressing critical biodiversity challenges.
- Support capacity-building initiatives to empower indigenous peoples and local communities to participate meaningfully in benefit-sharing negotiations and decision-making processes. Make financial mechanisms accessible to support indigenous peoples and local communities in implementing the Biodiversity Plan.
Cities are hubs of cooperation, innovation and investment. Here is how they can be part of the Plan.
Subnational governments, cities and local authorities can help achieve the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050 at all levels of society.
If you represent a city, subnational government or local authority, take a moment to read the Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2023–2030). Here is a non-exhaustive list of steps you can take to be part of the Plan:
Protect and restore
- Review and update subnational and local rules and regulations related to urban and territorial planning and development to ensure alignment with the Convention on Biological Diversity and the relevant national policies reflecting it.
- Organize consultations with indigenous peoples and local communities and stakeholders, including women and youth, to seek ways in which your subnational government, city and local authorities can contribute to the attainment of the Biodiversity Plan’s 23 targets. Build on these consultations to draw up a local biodiversity action plan at subnational or city level.
- Establish policies and incentives that encourage and acknowledge the contributions from urban protected areas or other effective area-based conservation measures.
Prosper with nature
- Enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban areas. Improve access to green spaces and encourage actions to increase ecological connectivity.
- Mobilize expertise to implement integrated urban and territorial planning that considers both human wellbeing and the health of ecosystems.
Share benefits fairly
- Learn about the concept of benefit-sharing that is enshrined in Article 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol that complements it.
- Protect and promote customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities by integrating their recognition into local biodiversity plans and strategies.
Invest and collaborate
- Seek ways to translate your country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) into subnational and local plans and engage with national authorities to include your actions in the NBSAP.
- Draw up gender-sensitive, local schemes and programmes that incentivize your citizens’ active participation in the protection and restoration of biodiversity including through communication, education and public awareness campaigns.
- Create incentives for investments that can generate new streams of revenue for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems at the subnational and local levels.
Businesses and financial institutions have a pivotal role to play.
The world is on the cusp of an energy transition and a broader shift to sustainability in response to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The current trajectory is simply not viable.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of steps that corporations, SMEs, financial institutions, managers, entrepreneurs, businesspeople, financiers and investors can take to be part of the Biodiversity Plan:
Protect and restore
- Rethink your relationship with nature by weaving biodiversity into your business models and portfolios.
- Use the Biodiversity Plan as a blueprint for the articulation of your organization’s sustainability and Environment Social Governance (ESG) strategies as well as investment decisions.
Prosper with nature
- Sustainability is about being on the right side of history. Let your commitment to sustainability be part of your marketing communications strategy.
- Green the value chain: design your products, services and portfolios around sustainable production and consumption. Encourage your suppliers, business partners and investors to commit to sustainability across the value-chain.
Share benefits fairly
- Design fair arrangements whereby communities can benefit and thrive from your use of genetic and natural resources.
- When using traditional knowledge, ensure that your company obtains the free prior and informed consent of the owners of such knowledge.
Invest and collaborate
- Assess and disclose the impacts and dependencies that your business has on biodiversity.
- Transform your business models to reduce negative impacts on biodiversity over time and communicate progress transparently.
- Invest in biodiversity-friendly Research and Development. Consider the costs associated with sustainable production as an investment towards a more sustainable future for your business and for the planet.