8 November 2012: A number of ministers identified education as a key driver in achieving the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Aichi Targets for Biodiversity, on the sidelines of the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the CBD in Hyderabad, India. These ministers highlighted biodiversity awareness-raising activities and education as critical tools for producing concrete solutions to biodiversity challenges.

The event considered recommendations from the International Conference on Biodiversity Conservation and Education for Sustainable Development, held in October 2012. The ministers in attendance included the French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Delphine Batho, and Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of Environment and Forests of India. Their recommendations included educating both children and adults, and noted that local city authorities, inter alia, can help address drivers of biodiversity change and loss. They also recognized the role of civil society in promoting citizen engagement and awareness of biodiversity.

Braulio Ferreira de Souza, CBD Executive Secretary, recommended paying attention to positive ideas and motivating society. He explained that solutions can come from children and local communities and that while initiatives may be small “collectively we can make a difference.”

Awareness of the value of biodiversity and understanding the steps to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity are addressed under Target 1 of the Aichi biodiversity targets, which are a set of 20 targets included under the 2011-2020 Strategic Biodiversity Plan. [UNESCO Press Release] [Website of Education Conference]