13 November 2013: Launched by the LifeWeb Initiative of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and officially unveiled at the seventeenth meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), the Zero Extinction Campaign aims to provide countries with a platform to profile their financial needs to prevent species extinctions and achieve related Aichi targets in the effort to stem biodiversity loss.

The Zero Extinction Campaign is in line with achieving Aichi Target 12, which states that “by 2020, the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline has been improved and sustained.” Under the Zero Extinction Campaign, countries may seek funding for project activities, including for protecting areas that represent the last remaining refuse of an endangered species; eradication of invasive alien species; strengthening law enforcement to reduce threats to threatened species; and working with local communities to develop alternative livelihoods in situations where species protection conflicts with sustainability. [CBD Press Release] [LifeWeb Initiative website]