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addressing change: Why maters

Key Messages

• Climate change mitgaton and adaptaton can be supported by biodiversity conservaton actons, enabling the permanence of mitgaton and adaptaton eforts. • and degradaton undermines the supply of ecosystem services vital for mitgaton and adaptaton. • Adaptaton and mitgaton actons that do not consider the role of, and potental impacts on, biodiversity can have adverse consequences; therefore, such impacts must be assessed, and measures put in place to address them. • Applicaton of biodiversity criteria and safeguards to climate change interventons can enhance the benefts and minimise the risks for biodiversity without jeopardising mitgaton or adaptaton objectves. • Multple internatonal agreements and natonal processes relevant to climate change and biodiversity should be implemented in ways that are coordinated, mutually supportve and enhance synergies. to diferent stresses. More diverse are likely 1. Introducton to include with a greater range of tolerances and sensitvites, increasing the likelihood that some species Climate change and biodiversity loss are two of the will contnue to contribute to ecosystem functoning greatest global threats to well-being. An urgent under diferent stresses and decreasing the possibility that and coordinated response is needed to avoid catastrophic irreversible thresholds are crossed. The way ecosystems impacts on the environment and the many benefts and are managed as part of climate change mitgaton and services that derive from it. adaptaton actvites can have signifcant impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and therefore the This policy brief describes the interconnectons between long term efectveness of these actons. climate change and biodiversity. It highlights the importance of considering biodiversity within climate change policies, programmes and projects, and presents potental opportunites for doing so. The brief has been informed by a 2.5 year research and development project on biodiversity criteria for the design, selecton and evaluaton of climate change adaptaton and natural carbon sinks/REDD+ projects in and under the German Internatonal Climate Initatve (IKI)1. When developing such criteria and related safeguards for climate change policies, programmes and projects, consideraton of social and environmental aspects is vital. This brief focuses on .

2. Biodiversity, ecosystem services and their importance

The term biodiversity encompasses: genetc diversity, the variability within a species; species diversity, the variety of diferent species; and ecosystem diversity, the variety © OroVerde - Tropical Foundaton of diferent ecosystems. Ecosystems are areas where communites of living organisms interact with each other and their non-living environment. 3. Interconnectons between

Intact ecosystems provide multple services to humans, climate change and biodiversity including provisioning services, such as supply of and natural , and regulatng services, that and ecosystem services modify climate and hydrology, as well as cultural services An efectve climate change response requires like spiritual fulflment and recreaton. Ecosystem consideraton of the role of, and potental impacts on, conservaton, restoraton and management can play a biodiversity and ecosystem services. crucial role in climate change mitgaton, for example through carbon sequestraton and the reducton of Forest and ecosystems house important carbon greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, such practces can stocks. Terrestrial vegetaton alone is estmated to store be important for climate change adaptaton, bufering approximately 450-650 gigatonnes of carbon (GtC).2 societes from the impacts of climate change. For example, However, ecosystem conversion and degradaton caused food plains and can provide natural protecton by unsustainable management release carbon dioxide against events and rising sea levels. to the atmosphere. Gross emissions from tropical deforestaton and degradaton, for example, averaged 2.8± Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradaton can 0.5 GtC per year in the 2000s.2 sustainable management undermine the provision of valuable services. Ecosystems of ecosystems curbs greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can only withstand pressure up to a certain threshold. and therefore contributes to mitgatng climate change. Once such a threshold has been surpassed, the damage to the ecosystem may be irreversible. The combined efects Biodiversity and ecosystem services support people to of diferent pressures, such as climate change, harmful adapt to climate change through approaches collectvely -use change, and over-exploitaton, can lower the called ecosystem-based adaptaton (EbA). Conservaton, thresholds which can be withstood. Generally speaking, restoraton and sustainable management of ecosystems the more diverse an ecosystem, the more resilient it is can help reduce vulnerability to climatc hazards such

2 Policy reviews and gap analysis can help ensure consistent and coherent policy development that takes account of the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services to people

The IUCN-led IKI project ‘ Ecosystems for Climate Change Adaptaton and Livelihoods’, involving several Pacifc country governments, has contributed to the development of climate change and biodiversity policy by completng policy and legislaton reviews. ©Milika Sobey as hurricanes, rising sea levels, and droughts. , disruptng fshing, reducing and Furthermore, such approaches improve the resilience of ultmately reducing climate change resilience in local ecosystems to climate change so that they can contnue communites. The restoraton of foodplains could be a to deliver ecosystem services, supportng the provision suitable alternatve approach that addresses fooding in the of alternatve livelihood optons in the face of climate frst place, while promotng nutrient retenton, biodiversity change. conservaton and potentally climate change mitgaton.

The United Natons Framework Conventon on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has, through the Cancun Adaptaton 4. How to achieve climate change Framework, adopted in 2010 afrmed that enhanced acton on adaptaton should take into consideraton and biodiversity objectves vulnerable ecosystems and integrate adaptaton into relevant social, economic and environmental policies 4.1. ensure policy coherence and actons. The list of adaptaton actons that countries are invited to consider includes building the resilience of Many countries have established or are establishing ecological systems through sustainable management of specifc policies or strategies on climate change natural resources. mitgaton, adaptaton and biodiversity. Policy design and implementaton occurs through a range of legislaton, While there are numerous opportunites to simultaneously strategies, plans, programmes and projects. It occurs promote climate change mitgaton, adaptaton and at local, regional, natonal and internatonal levels, and biodiversity benefts, poorly conceived climate change is enacted and fnanced by a range of actors. The links interventons may harm biodiversity and even reduce between climate change and biodiversity mean that resilience to climate change. For example, an exclusive there is great potental for policies, and the programmes focus on carbon benefts in the implementaton of REDD+3 and projects they inform, to achieve multple objectves. could displace pressures to non-forest ecosystems There is also the potental risk for actvites striving for one or lead to negatve impacts on biodiversity elsewhere. objectve to have unintended impacts on other objectves. This could have detrimental impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and the local communites that In order to avoid conficts and enable more efectve depend on them for their livelihoods and resilience implementaton, policies, programmes and projects to climate change. Governments have recognised this must be coordinated and consistent. Coherence can through the UNFCCC, where decision 1/CP.16 afrmed that be facilitated by understanding the diferent processes the implementaton of REDD+ actvites should promote involved in natonal implementaton, and achievement and support the ‘Cancun Safeguards’. These are a series of of the objectves, of the UNFCCC, the Conventon on social and environmental safeguards that cover issues such Biological Diversity (CBD), the Ramsar Conventon as avoiding the conversion of natural forests, incentvising on Wetlands and other multlateral environmental the protecton and conservaton of natural forests and agreements. Indentfying the links can help to ensure their ecosystem services, and enhancing other social and efectve and cohesive policies, programmes and projects environmental benefts. for climate change and biodiversity.

Climate change adaptaton actons that do not consider Specifcally, many developing countries are establishing the role of, and potental impacts on, biodiversity can their Natonally Appropriate Mitgaton Actons (NAMAs). have adverse efects – increasing rather than reducing Considering biodiversity within NAMAs can help ensure climate change vulnerability. For example, building a dam their long term efectveness, and harness synergies to prevent fooding could have negatve impacts on river between biodiversity and climate change mitgaton at the

3 natonal level. Many developing countries have established or are establishing natonal REDD+ strategies or acton Examples of Aichi Biodiversity Targets plans, including the design of country approaches to addressing climate change, under the REDD+ safeguards. Strategic Plan for Biodiversity of the CBD

In 2013, at UNFCCC COP19 in Warsaw, Poland, seven Target 10: By 2015, the multple anthropogenic decisions were adopted fnalizing the governance pressures on coral reefs, and other vulnerable framework for REDD+. The decisions included an ecosystems impacted by climate change or ocean agreement that developing countries should demonstrate acidifcaton are minimized, so as to maintain their how the Cancun Safeguards are being addressed and integrity and functoning. respected before receiving result-based fnance (Decision 9/CP.19). This is a partcularly important process for Target 15: By 2020, ecosystem resilience and ensuring that natonal REDD+ actvites beneft rather the contributon of biodiversity to carbon stocks than harm biodiversity. has been enhanced, through conservaton and restoraton, including restoraton of at least 15 per Natonal adaptaton planning can also beneft from the cent of degraded ecosystems, thereby contributng integraton of biodiversity consideratons. For instance, to climate change mitgaton and adaptaton and to several countries include projects that involve the use combatng desertfcaton. of biodiversity and ecosystem services for helping communites adapt to climate change in their Natonal Adaptaton Programmes of Acton (NAPAs) – designed The Natonal Biodiversity Strategy and Acton Plan by least developed countries to address immediate (NBSAP) is the principal instrument for natonal adaptaton needs. For example, the frst project outlined implementaton of the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity in Rwanda’s NAPA is ‘Conservaton and protecton of 2011-2020 and the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Climate against and foods at district level in vulnerable related targets are likely to be supported by ensuring regions’, which includes actons to restore degraded coherent policy development between NBSAPs and ecosystems as a means of addressing climatc hazards. climate change policies. Therefore, climate change policy development should support the recogniton of NBSAPs The development of Natonal Adaptaton Plans (NAPs) – content in natonal mitgaton and adaptaton policies, mid- to long-term adaptaton planning in developing and the recogniton of adaptaton policies and objectves countries – provides another good opportunity to harness in the development of NBSAPs. Incorporatng actons to the synergies between climate change adaptaton, facilitate adaptaton of biodiversity and ecosystems can mitgaton and biodiversity conservaton. The technical help ensure the ongoing provision of ecosystem services guidance for NAPs acknowledges ecosystem-based important for climate change mitgaton and adaptaton. adaptaton as one adaptaton approach.

Identfying areas important for biodiversity in climate change projects can help deliver multple benefts

WWF Germany, WWF Russia, the of the Udege and Nanai and the Government of Russia, together with Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufau (KfW), have worked to protect more than 460,000 hectares of threatened forest for climate change mitgaton in Bikin, Russia. The IKI project targets an area of outstanding conservaton importance ( of Amur tgers) and involves the development of alternatve livelihoods for the local community. It has been certfed by the Verifed Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) to assess and demonstrate the carbon, biodiversity and livelihood benefts simultaneously delivered by the project. © Igor Zhorov WWF

4 assessment and monitoring can help to ensure that biodiversity benefts are achieved in climate change projects

The pilot REDD+ IKI project ‘Forests for ’, implemented by OroVerde, Defensores de la Naturaleza, Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP) in Sierra del Lacandón Natonal Park, Guatemala, has considered its potental impact on biodiversity and, as a result, is reforestng only with natve species. The impact on biodiversity is being monitored through fagship species (e.g. the Jaguar, the Tapir and the Scarlet Macaw) data and habitat quality indicators. © OroVerde - Foundaton

4.2. assess biodiversity impacts, avoid harm In additon, considering the impacts across the entre and enhance benefts , and the interactons with other land uses such as agriculture, human setlements and infrastructure It is important to identfy and assess the potental can improve policy coherence and efectveness. direct and indirect impacts on biodiversity of policies, programmes and projects during their design and Once potental positve and negatve impacts have been implementaton. This can facilitate positve impacts, identfed, measures are needed to reduce risks and, if help ensure multple objectves are achieved, and avoid feasible, enhance benefts to biodiversity and ecosystem unintended negatve impacts. Potental impacts on services, and their role in supportng climate change biodiversity will vary greatly depending on the type of mitgaton and adaptaton. As an example, during wetland policies and interventons; essental consideratons include restoraton measures could be taken to ensure only natve their interacton with areas important for biodiversity, species are used, to avoid the risk of introducing potentally the introducton of species and use of natural resources. which can have detrimental impacts

© Joachim Hofer Projects can simultaneously provide adaptaton, mitgaton and other benefts

The Deutsche Gesellschaf für Internatonale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is implementng an ecosystem-based adaptaton project, funded by IKI, which promotes sustainable use of resources and preservaton of biodiversity in Vietnam’s Bac Lieu Province as a way of improving the protectve functon of the coastal forests. It advises the responsible government departments and trains relevant personnel to develop a land-use plan adapted to the antcipated consequences of climate change. It focuses partcularly on reforestng and diversifying the coastal protectve mangrove forest in order to increase its resilience to climate change and reduce erosion. The project further supports small-scale farmers living in the mangrove forests in diversifying their aquaculture producton. By preventng the conversion of mangrove forest to shrimp and setlements, this project also provides climate change mitgaton benefts.

5 on local biodiversity and provision. example, has detailed safeguard processes for projects Assessing the impacts of policies, programmes they support. The UN-REDD Programme has established and projects is important not just before they are UN-REDD Social and Environmental Principles and Criteria implemented, but also during implementaton to allow (SEPC) for supportng REDD+ safeguard development for adaptve management and to inform evaluaton and within natonal REDD+ programmes. The REDD+ Social reportng. For instance, ongoing monitoring can help in and Environmental Standards (SES) have been developed providing informaton on how the Cancun Safeguards by the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance are being addressed and respected, and on the actual (CCBA) and CARE Internatonal. impact of REDD+ actvites. To assess how policies, programmes and projects are performing, it can be The Adaptaton Fund under the UNFCCC has a social helpful to develop indicators to monitor performance. and environmental safeguards policy to ensure that projects and programmes do not result in unreasonable 4.3. Realise synergies within actons environmental and social harm, and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) – a funding body set up for fnance actons to Careful design and implementaton of climate change achieve the objectves of the UNFCCC – has established an interventons can enable synergies to be harnessed expert panel on environmental and social safeguards with between mitgaton, adaptaton and biodiversity a view to developing the GCF’s safeguards policy. conservaton. For example, restoring mangroves could enhance and protect the carbon stocks within them Governments, NGOs, the private sector, development and could also beneft biodiversity if the appropriate agencies and communites may apply criteria throughout steps are taken (for example plantng of natve species). the policy development and project cycles, to increase Furthermore, if carefully planned, the restoraton could mitgaton and adaptaton benefts whilst safeguarding also enhance other ecosystem services important for biodiversity. In deciding on the applicaton of criteria, it adaptaton, including improved protecton of local is important to decide whether the intenton is to simply communites from coastal storms. avoid negatve impacts, or also to enhance benefts. It is also important to ensure that potental impacts identfed are acted upon. 5. The role of biodiversity criteria Recogniton is needed so that biodiversity conservaton Criteria, safeguards, principles, standards and guidance can support the achievement of climate change mitgaton (collectvely refered to here as ‘biodiversity criteria’ and adaptaton aims, and reduce risks to the permanence for brevity) play an important role in helping climate of climate change mitgaton and adaptaton benefts. change mitgaton and adaptaton policies, programmes Potental trade-ofs between all three objectves (climate and projects avoid or minimise risks to biodiversity and change mitgaton, climate change adaptaton and maximise potental benefts, whilst being mindful of any biodiversity conservaton) do exist, but consideraton trade-ofs with the ultmate mitgaton or adaptaton goal. of all impacts should enable a balance to be reached Biodiversity criteria need to cover all of the issues outlined that meets multple policy objectves and the needs of in secton 4. For an example, see proposed biodiversity diferent stakeholders. criteria (p.7).

Biodiversity criteria contribute to: endnotes • enhancing the climate change mitgaton and adaptaton benefts of policies, programmes and 1From 2008 untl the end of 2013, IKI has funded more projects than 370 projects involving a range of organisatons in 97 • avoiding unintended impacts of climate change partner countries amountng to approximately 1.2 billion policies, programmes and projects on biodiversity Euros. For more informaton on IKI visit: htp://www. • enhancing the biodiversity benefts of climate internatonal-climate-initatve.com/en/ change policies, programmes and projects • guiding monitoring and evaluaton for contnual 2 IPCC. (2013) Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science improvement in the design and implementaton of Basis. Contributon of Working Group I to the Fifh climate-related policies, programmes and projects Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on • informing selecton processes for disbursing climate Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Platner, M. fnance in a responsible and efectve way. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, To be efectve, criteria should be concise and simple, and Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 1535 accompanied by guidance targeted to the main users and pp. specifc uses. A number of criteria and related tools for assessing the impact of diferent types of interventons on 3 Reducing Emissions from Deforestaton and Degradaton, biodiversity and ecosystem services have been developed plus the conservaton of forest carbon stocks, sustainable and utlised by fnancing insttutons, governments, management of forests, and enhancement of forest internatonal agencies and NGOs. The World Bank, for carbon stocks.

6 Proposed biodiversity criteria for climate change projects Developed within the research and development project “Optons for the incorporaton of biodiversity criteria in IKI projects in forests and wetlands”

A. Policies, laws, regulatory frameworks and internatonal conventons A.I. Projects must comply with relevant local, natonal and internatonal policies, laws, regulatory frameworks and legally binding agreements linked to the conservaton of biodiversity and ecosystem services. A.II. Projects must aim to contribute to the implementaton of internatonal treates/conventons with regard to the conservaton of biodiversity at the natonal level.

B. Impacts on biodiversity Identfy impacts B.I. Projects should identfy direct and indirect impacts (including displacement) of the project, to avoid harm to and, where possible, to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services Include the following where relevant to the project actvites: B.I.a Identfy the positve and negatve impacts on areas important for biodiversity within the project boundaries. B.I.b If organisms are to be introduced within a project, including as part of restoraton/reforestaton or as a biological (and ) management soluton, their potental invasiveness and detrimental impact on biodiversity needs to be assessed in order to avoid negatve impacts on natve species and ecosystem services. B.I.c Identfy the impact of any planned use of natural resources or ecosystem services within the project (e.g. extracton of non-tmber forest products).

Response to impacts B.II. Measures must be taken to avoid or reduce all of the potental negatve impacts identfed in criterion B.I, in line with a precautonary approach. Positve impacts identfed in B.I should be enhanced where possible. Include the following where relevant to the project actvites: B.II.a Projects must prevent the conversion or degradaton of areas important for biodiversity and ecosystem services. B.II.b Projects should give preference to the use of natve assemblages of species. B.II.c Projects must not establish large monoculture plantatons within the project boundaries. B.II.d Projects must ensure they do not use genetcally modifed organisms. B.II.e Projects should strategically locate plantng actvites (including restoraton, reforestaton and aforestaton) within the landscape to avoid the degradaton of areas important for biodiversity, and to actvely enhance biodiversity. B.II.f If relevant, projects should aim to use natve biological solutons to pest and problematc plant management, as opposed to chemical solutons. B.II.g Projects should aim to maintain, and where possible increase, the resilience of forest and wetland ecosystems to disturbances and pressures, including those caused by climate change (e.g. by increasing the connectvity between , preventng unsustainable use, and protectng known refugia for species at the edge of their climatc range). B.II.h When developing climate change adaptaton projects, ecosystem-based approaches for adaptaton should be considered as an alternatve to the constructon of ‘hard-engineered’ defences. B.II.i Projects must aim to ensure the of any use of biodiversity/ecosystem services/natural resources within the project.

C. Joint climate change mitgaton and adaptaton C.I. Projects should aim to maximise the synergies between adaptaton to climate change and mitgaton of climate change and sustainable development that may be achieved through avoiding harm to, and where possible, enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services.

7 Suggested further reading

• UNEP-WCMC (2014) Using criteria to strengthen biodiversity consideraton: Recommendatons for the Internatonal Climate Initatve (IKI), Results of the research and development project for BfN: “Optons for the incorporaton of biodiversity criteria in IKI projects in forests and wetlands”. • SCBD (2009) Connectng Biodiversity and Climate Change Mitgaton and Adaptaton: Report of the Second Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change Montreal: SCBD. Retrieved from www.cbd.int/doc/ publicatons/cbd-ts-41-en.pdf • SCBD (2011) REDD-plus and Biodiversity. Montreal, Canada: Secretariat of the Conventon on Biological Diversity. Retrieved from htp://www.cbd.int/doc/publicatons/cbd-ts-59-en.pdf • Andrade, A., Córdoba, R., Dave, R., Girot, P., Herrera-F., B., Munroe, R., Oglethorpe, J., Paaby, P., Pramova, E., Watson, E. & Vergar, W. (2011) Draf Principles and Guidelines for Integratng Ecosystem-based Approaches to Adaptaton in Project and Policy Design: a discussion document. Turrialba, Costa Rica: IUCN-CEM,CATIE. Retrieved from htps:// portals.iucn.org/library/efles/edocs/2011-063.pdf • REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards (2012) REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards Version 2. Retrieved from htp://www.redd-standards.org/fles/REDDSES_Version_2/REDDSES_Version_2_-_10_September_2012.pdf • UN-REDD Programme (2012) UN-REDD Programme Social and Environmental Principles and Criteria. Retrieved from htp://www.un-redd.org/Multple_Benefts_SEPC/tabid/54130/Default.aspx • Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Wetlands and . Synthesis. Washington, DC: World Resources Insttute.

The United Natons Environment Programme World Conservaton Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is the specialist biodiversity assessment centre of the United Natons Environment Programme (UNEP), the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organisaton. The Centre has been in operaton for over 30 years, combining scientfc research with practcal policy advice.

BirdLife Internatonal is the world’s largest conservaton partnership, comprising 122 BirdLife Partners worldwide, 13 million members and supporters, over 7,000 local conservaton groups and 7,400 staf. The Partnership’s unique local-to-global approach delivers high impact and long-term conservaton for the beneft of nature and people. BirdLife’s work is grounded in rigorous science informed by practcal feedback from projects in important sites and habitats.

The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservaton (Bundesamt für Naturschutz – BfN) is the government’s departmental research agency with responsibility for natonal and internatonal nature conservaton. It provides the German Environment Ministry (BMUB) with professional and scientfc assistance in all nature conservaton and landscape management issues and performs important enforcement work under internatonal agreements.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This policy brief is based upon a research and development project that was supported by BfN with funds from BMUB. It has been produced by UNEP-WCMC, BirdLife Internatonal and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservaton. We would like to thank all those who provided informaton on the IKI projects profled and feedback on draf versions including Nico Kreibich, Wuppertal Insttute for Climate, Environment and . Special thanks to Rudolf Specht, The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservaton, Building and Nuclear Safety, for his advice and support over the duraton of the project.

CITATION Mant, R., Perry, E., Heath, M., Munroe, R., Väänänen, E., Großheim, C., Kümper-Schlake, L. (2014) Addressing climate change – why biodiversity maters. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, UK. available online at: htp://unep-wcmc.org/resources-and-data/biodiversity-criteria-in-iki

Images on coverpage: Bikin Valley ©Frank Moerschel, WWF Germany; Frog ©Geof Gallice; Burning for new felds ©OroVerde - Tropical Forest Foundaton.

© 2014 United Natons Environment Programme

UNEP World Conservaton Monitoring Centre 219 Huntngdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1223 277314 Fax: +44 (0) 1223 277136 Email: [email protected] Website: www.unep-wcmc.org