2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, is drawing to a close.
This year’s targets for global biodiversity conservation — the culmination of UN efforts emerging from the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 — went largely unmet.
Follow-up negotiations this year in Nagoya, Japan led to a new accord and renewed strategic plan that awaits ratification by 193 countries.
Meanwhile, global biodiversity loss continues to accelerate.
2010 also marks the midpoint of New Zealand’s own twenty-year National Biodiversity Strategy. How are we measuring up on the targets we’ve set ourselves?
As we round out the year of biodiversity, we bring together a panel of conservation experts to ask what’s been accomplished, what’s been overlooked, and what are the major challenges ahead?
LISTEN TO AUDIO:
Registered journalists can download slides from speakers’ presentations in the SMC Resource Library.
SPEAKERS:
Dr William (Bill) Lee – Ecologist, Landcare Research
Bill Lee is an ecologist with Landcare Research based in Dunedin, with interests in biodiversity assessment, and factors influencing the patterns and processes shaping native biodiversity.
Dr Avi Holzapfel – Senior Technical Support Officer, Department of Conservation
Avi is current leader of the national Kiwi Recovery Group and a Senior Technical Support Officer with DoC, focusing on threatened species recovery planning and implementation. He is also involved with pateke, dactylanthus and native frog recovery groups.
Dr John Craig – independent biodiversity & sustainability consultant and Research Associate, University of Auckland
John is an independent biodiversity & sustainability consultant. He is former Professor of Environmental Management at the University of Auckland — now Research Associate — as well as a consultant and private land manager.
ONLINE BRIEFING DETAILS
DATE: Tues 7 Dec
START TIME: 10:30 am (dial in five minutes beforehand)
DURATION: Approx 45 minutes
Journalists can contact the Science Media Centre for log-in details.