Mexico launches biodiversity, business alliance

The  Mexican Alliance for Biodiversity and Business, with the  aim of promoting the  protection,  conservation  and  restoration  of  biodiversity and  ecosystems, was  launched  17  October 2016 in Mexico City.

Comprised  of 15  institutions  and  12  companies, the  Mexican  Alliance  for  Biodiversity  and  Business, seeks  to  generate constructive  dialogue  between  conservation  organizations,  cooperation  agencies, institutions  and  businesses  to  develop  investment  mechanisms  and  projects  to  protect  natural  resources and  ecosystems,  not  only  as  an  altruistic  action,  but  as  an  integral  element  of  the  business  strategy  of businesses.

“I am very pleased that Mexico has established its national business  and  biodiversity  initiative, thereby demonstrating  its  support  for  the ongoing work under the  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  (CBD) to strengthen the  engagement of business,” said Braulio Ferreira  de  Souza  Dias, CBD Executive  Secretary.“The  involvement  of  the  business  sector  is  crucial  to achieving  the  objectives  of  the Strategic  Plan  for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.”

Attending the launch on behalf of the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources for Mexico, H.E. Rafael  Pacchiano  Alamán, the Undersecretary  of  Development  and  Environmental Regulation, H.E. Cuauhtémoc Ochoa Fernández, praised the commitment of Mexico’s private sector in contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s natural capital.

Members of the Mexican Alliance for Biodiversity and Business emphasize that biodiversity is the foundation of life on Earth, and therefore sustains economic activity and human welfare, and that conserving and sustainably using genetic resources, species and ecosystems is essential for the long-term prosperity and viability of society and business.

The announcement of the alliance is especially timely.

Mexico is hosting the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cancun between 2 and 17 December 2016 and, as a parallel event, the 2016 Business and  Thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and second meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Biodiversity  Forum  will  take  place  on  2 to 3  December 2016.

In  line  with  the  theme  of  the UN Biodiversity  Conference –the  integration  of  the  conservation  and  sustainable  use  of  biodiversity  in  the plans, programmes and sectoral and intersectoral policies with emphasis on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and   tourism   sectors –the Business   and   Biodiversity   Forum will   highlight   the   importance   of mainstreaming biodiversity across sectors for the achievement of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, its Aichi  Biodiversity  Targets,  as  well  as the Sustainable  Development  Goals  of the  2030  Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The  Mexican  Alliance  for  Biodiversity  and  Business  will actively participate  in  the  Business  and Biodiversity  Forum.  It is also expected  to  join the  Global  Partnership  for  Business  and Biodiversity established by Parties to the CBD, which allows for the sharing of information and best practices amongst the  various  member  initiatives  as  well  as  their  constituent  organizations.  The creation of the Global Partnership is a concrete signal by Parties to the Convention of their growing understanding that business needs to play a critical role in addressing the global challenge of biodiversity loss

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