14 September 2008: Speaking at the Sixteenth Environment
Congress for Asia and the Pacific, which took place in Nagoya, Japan, from
13-14 September 2008, Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD), underscored the unprecedented rate of biodiversity
loss due to the pressures on the planet’s natural functions caused by human
activity.

Noting that humankind’s ecological footprint extends 25% beyond the
biological capacity of the planet, he underlined that climate change has
intensified the loss of biodiversity.
He recalled the conclusions of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report, according to which up to
30% of all known species are likely to be at an increased risk of extinction
before the end of this century, and outlined the projected rates of biodiversity
loss in Asia for the different flora and fauna species and their habitats. He
underlined that as the fastest growing region in the world, Asia faces
unprecedented environmental challenges, and emphasized the importance of
regional cooperation. [The Speech]