CBD COP16: Wins and losses for biodiversity and peoples, unfinished business on implementation Published: 19 November 2024 Commentary The sixteenth UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, faced significant challenges and ran overtime due to disagreements between developing and developed countries. A resumed meeting will be required to address these unfinished issues. By Mirna Inés Fernández
After the COP16 Biodiversity Conference in Colombia: What remains and what comes next Published: 14 November 2024 Commentary The UN Conference on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, ended in early November with important resolutions, but no agreement on the key issue of financing biodiversity conservation. By Evelyn Hartig
CBD COP 15: "The loss of biodiversity poses an existential threat" Published: 5 December 2022 Interview Before the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in Montreal, Member of the German Bundestag Jan-Niclas Gesenhues answered questions about the interconnection of the climate and biodiversity crisis, economic models that consider well being, and more sustainable consumption. By Philipp Kuehl
Saving biodiversity Published: 8 October 2021 Background With the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the global community wants to make a new attempt to halt the rapid and dramatic loss of ecosystems, species and genetic diversity, or biodiversity. By Lili Fuhr, Kristin Funke, Dr. Christine Chemnitz, Linda Schneider and Lisa Tostado
COP 15 Published: 6 October 2021 At the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Kunming, China, the course is set for or against the conservation of biodiversity.
Agriculture: Balancing production and sustainability Published: 3 June 2020 Insect Atlas Their services in pollination and soil management make insects vital for agriculture. But farming also poses grave threats to them. We need to better maintain and restore biodiversity in farmed landscapes. By Teja Tscharntke
Organic Farming: Buzzing and chirping vs. sprays and silence Published: 3 June 2020 Insect Atlas Organic farming focuses on maintaining soil fertility and biodiversity. But for an insect-friendly future, the whole farm landscape will have to change. By Katrin Wenz
A world without insects: Technology won't save us Published: 27 May 2020 Insect Atlas If insect diversity were to disappear, a vital part of the system that supports us would be lost. Nature would change, and our diet would have to change with it. Pollinator robots would not be able to compensate for the absence of insects. By Alexandra-Maria Klein
Global insect deaths: A crisis without numbers Published: 27 May 2020 Insect Atlas The decline in both insect populations and in the number of species is well documented, though the evidence is patchy outside Europe and North America. Scientists agree that agriculture has a negative influence. Both the expansion and intensification of farming seem to be to blame. By Dr. Christine Chemnitz
A new Global Biodiversity Framework …for what and for whom? Published: 7 May 2019 Analysis Nearly a decade after the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) set the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, evidence shows that the actions undertaken to implement them have not been sufficient. What should a new Global Biodiversity Framework look like? By Gadir Lavadenz
Cutting Corners on Consent Published: 28 January 2019 A new UN agreement requires organizations seeking to release gene-drive organisms to obtain the “free, prior, and informed consent” of potentially affected communities. By Zahra Moloo
The Heinrich Böll Foundation’s position on COP14 Published: 12 November 2018 The 14th Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the Convention on Biological Diversity will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from the 17th to the 29th of November 2018. The Heinrich Böll Foundation stands in solidarity with Egyptian civil society and will therefore not take part in this year’s COP in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Just Say No to Agricultural Gene Drives Published: 12 November 2018 By forcing laboratory-made genes on an entire population or species, cutting-edge gene-drive technologies have the power to transform entire ecosystems in one fell swoop. But where leading industrial agriculture firms see dollar signs, farmers in the regions where gene drives could be unleashed see a mortal threat to their livelihoods. By Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje
'It's not about putting a price tag on nature.' Published: 18 August 2017 Does economic valuation not inevitably pave the way for the commodification of nature?
Biodiversity: The Danger of Declining Diversity Published: 2 June 2017 Gourmets visiting Sylt, Germany’s idyllic North Sea vacation destination, can choose between fresh Pacific oysters and native blue mussels. But what seems like fine dining is actually a cautionary tale as the foreign oysters threaten to overrun the native mussels.
The Experts Behind the Ocean Atlas Published: 2 June 2017 Many experts contributed their expertise to the Ocean Atlas, particularly scientists working together at the University of Kiel’s Future Ocean Cluster of Excellence to research the development of our oceans. Here's the who is who.
Call for a global moratorium on gene drives Published: 5 December 2016 Along with 160 global groups the Heinrich Böll Foundation signed the call for a global moratorium on genetically-engineered gene Drives. Support against gene drives also comes from the German government.
The perils of planned extinctions Published: 14 November 2016 The gene-drive technology is supposed to enable deliberate extinctions of “pest” species, in order to save “favored” species and stop the global biodiversity loss. The risks are obvious - and the existing regulatory framework is absolutely unsuitable. By Claire Hope Cummings
Gene Editing and Seed Stealing Published: 3 November 2016 At the moment regulations for the trade with genetic material help to safeguard the rights of providers of genetic resources. This could change with the use of digital gene sequences. By Chee Yoke Ling and Edward Hammond
What are compensation credits and why are they so controversial? Published: 20 October 2016 Corporations whose business models require the exploitation and destruction of nature are increasingly marketing products as carbon-neutral and deforestation-free. This is made possible by the concept of “compensation instead of reduction”. How does it work?