Australia, The Netherlands and United Kingdom
Australia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom
Sustainable Development Goals Open Working Group, 11th Session, May 2014
Constituency Statement
Cluster 7: Conservation and sustainable use of oceans and ecosystems
• It is important to recognise the inter-linkages between environmental, social and economic objectives, and acknowledge that healthy ecosystems, biological diversity and natural resources enable long-term economic and social development. Sustainable management of the earth’s resources is essential for eradicating poverty, generating lasting and sustainable growth, and protecting the environment for the benefit of future generations.
• The post-2015 development agenda should complement ongoing efforts, within their agreed timeframes - on biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources - including those in the 20 Aichi targets (CBD).
• Accordingly, the post-2015 development agenda should promote good governance and sustainable management of our environment and natural resources within an integrated land and seascape approach. These issues should be fully integrated and prominent across all relevant goals (notably on food, energy and water), while consideration should be given to a standalone goal.
• On the sustainable management of our environment and natural resources, we propose the following targets for consideration:
– increase the proportion of legally certified, renewable, resource based-commodities in the market
– ensure effective mechanisms are in place to safeguard ecosystems, species and genetic diversity
– reduce deforestation by X% and increase appropriate reforestation and afforestation (14d)
– improve soil quality, and combat land degradation and desertification (14e)
– ensure inclusion of indigenous and local communities in decision-making and promote the use of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples (14i)
• Recalling the Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth in April 2014, we believe the post-2015 goal framework should visibly integrate the importance of oceans. We propose the following targets and indicators for consideration, which also represent an important element of food security:
– increase the economic returns to LDCs and SIDS from the sustainable development of coastal and marine resources from within their jurisdictions
– ensure X% of coastal and marine areas are effectively conserved and sustainably managed, including by building resilience to the impacts of key threatening processes (13b,f)
– reduce the incidence and impact of pollution on marine ecosystems (13a)
– restore overexploited stocks to levels that fall within maximum sustainable yield (13c)
– eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (13e)
– eliminate fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing (13g)
– increase the proportion of fisheries subject to management plans.
Sustainable Development Goals Open Working Group, 11th Session, May 2014
Constituency Statement
Cluster 7: Conservation and sustainable use of oceans and ecosystems
• It is important to recognise the inter-linkages between environmental, social and economic objectives, and acknowledge that healthy ecosystems, biological diversity and natural resources enable long-term economic and social development. Sustainable management of the earth’s resources is essential for eradicating poverty, generating lasting and sustainable growth, and protecting the environment for the benefit of future generations.
• The post-2015 development agenda should complement ongoing efforts, within their agreed timeframes - on biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources - including those in the 20 Aichi targets (CBD).
• Accordingly, the post-2015 development agenda should promote good governance and sustainable management of our environment and natural resources within an integrated land and seascape approach. These issues should be fully integrated and prominent across all relevant goals (notably on food, energy and water), while consideration should be given to a standalone goal.
• On the sustainable management of our environment and natural resources, we propose the following targets for consideration:
– increase the proportion of legally certified, renewable, resource based-commodities in the market
– ensure effective mechanisms are in place to safeguard ecosystems, species and genetic diversity
– reduce deforestation by X% and increase appropriate reforestation and afforestation (14d)
– improve soil quality, and combat land degradation and desertification (14e)
– ensure inclusion of indigenous and local communities in decision-making and promote the use of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples (14i)
• Recalling the Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth in April 2014, we believe the post-2015 goal framework should visibly integrate the importance of oceans. We propose the following targets and indicators for consideration, which also represent an important element of food security:
– increase the economic returns to LDCs and SIDS from the sustainable development of coastal and marine resources from within their jurisdictions
– ensure X% of coastal and marine areas are effectively conserved and sustainably managed, including by building resilience to the impacts of key threatening processes (13b,f)
– reduce the incidence and impact of pollution on marine ecosystems (13a)
– restore overexploited stocks to levels that fall within maximum sustainable yield (13c)
– eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (13e)
– eliminate fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing (13g)
– increase the proportion of fisheries subject to management plans.