Biodiv Sci ›› 2015, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (5): 689-694.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2015100

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Business and biodiversity: a review of the negotiation progress of a new issue under the Convention on Biological Diversity

Aihua Wang1, Jianyong Wu2,*(), Jixin Liu1   

  1. 1 Foreign Economic Corporation Center, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Beijing 100035
    2 Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing 210042
  • Received:2015-04-24 Accepted:2015-07-02 Online:2015-09-20 Published:2015-10-12
  • Contact: Wu Jianyong

Abstract:

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is one of the three major environmental conventions. During the continuous process of CBD negotiation, Business and Biodiversity has gradually become an important issue for CBD. The concept was developed for the first time during the third meeting of the conference of the Parties (COP-3) to CBD in 1996. At COP-5, business participation was proposed as one of the issues of CBD. At COP-6, the issue of business participation was incorporated into the Global Strategy of CBD. At COP-8, this issue was included in CBD COP decisions for the first time, with new measures proposed to promote the private sector in biodiversity conservation. The Framework of Priority Actions on Business (2008-2010) was drawn up at COP-9. The CBD decided to launch a forum for business participation in biodiversity conservation. Thus far, the Convention Secretariat has organized four meetings for Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity (GPBB), where issues of business participation in biodiversity are exchanged and discussed. In China, this is a new topic of current biodiversity governance work. The Chinese government has paid much attention to the issue and sent the Chinese Business and Biodiversity delegation to participate in the GPBB-3 and GPBB-4. Therefore, considering the status of the economy and biodiversity conservation in China, we should actively participate in the GPBB, to strengthen technology research, develop relevant standards and guidelines of business and biodiversity, deepen platform construction, and establish coordination mechanisms for business and biodiversity across sectors.

Key words: business, biodiversity, conservation, partnership