City of Edmonton a model of local government support for the CBD

Montreal, 18 October 2011 – In recognition of the need to complement Parties’ uptake of decision X/22 and the associated Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2011-2020), the City of Edmonton, Canada, has formally aligned its own city-wide planning with the decision. This kind of contributive effort by local government is being supported nationwide in Canada by the national ministry for the environment, Environment Canada, in partnership with the local government network, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), said: “Edmonton should be commended for incorporating the tenets of the CBD into the strategic actions of one of its overarching long-term city plans.” The plan, The Way We Green, was approved by City Council on 20 July 2011 and sets out goals and objectives over the next 30 years to make Edmonton a more environmentally sustainable and resilient city. “Integration of biodiversity into overarching long-term planning processes is essential to ensure that biodiversity is considered in day-to-day implementation across all sectors of local government,” said Mr. Djoghlaf. Mr. Djoghlaf commended Environment Canada’s support for cities, as demonstrated by their role in organizing the recent “Livable Cities Forum” in Montreal in August 2011, in partnership with ICLEI.

Such events highlight efforts made by local governments; and allow for the exchange of local government experiences, and interaction between different spheres of government and other relevant players. “Cities’ implementation of the objectives of the CBD automatically contributes to their respective Parties’ commitment to fulfilment of these objectives. It is therefore appropriate that decision X/22 calls for facilitated communication between all spheres of government, and for those spheres to work together in developing their respective biodiversity strategies and action plans,” said Mr. Djoghlaf.

Edmonton was one of the pioneers of the ICLEI Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) project and, through this initiative, has become increasingly involved in the coordinated international movement of local authorities to contribute to the implementation of the Convention. The city was also one of the first to test the Cities Biodiversity Index – the world’s first set of ecological indicators designed for cities. Initial results of the testing of the Index will feed into another important initiative of the Convention Secretariat, the first edition of a Cities and Biodiversity Outlook publication.

The first edition of the Cities and Biodiversity Outlook will be presented at Rio+20 and submitted to the World Cities’ Summit in Singapore, in June 2012, and officially launched at the second City Biodiversity Summit parallel to the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Hyderabad, India, in October 2012. The first edition of the Outlook will include in-depth analyses and undergo a careful peer-review process. A Cities and Biodiversity Outlook for India is also being considered by ICLEI.

In addition, a Mediterranean Regional Workshop for Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans:

Coordinating Local and National Action in the Mediterranean Basin, is scheduled to take place in Montpellier, France, from 17 to 19 January 2012.

Read more about Edmonton’s work at:

www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_wide_initiatives/environmental-strategic-plan.aspx