برنامج الأمم المتحدة للبيئة
17 Jul 2018 Blogpost الحقوق البيئية والحوكمة

Many Voices – One Nature: UN Environment launches a dialogue series on the power of communications in biodiversity conservation

In April 2018, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) organized a first of its kind debate on biodiversity communications. Hosted by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, the event brought together communications professionals, journalists, biodiversity experts, and the private sector to identify the challenges behind effective biodiversity advocacy and how to avoid fragmentation and competing messaging for coherence and impact.

Participants discussed the benefits of collaboration across conservationists, environmental organizations, and the media, and debated on how to best convey their messages about protecting the planet’s biodiversity from further plunder and degradation. They also discussed how to mobilize a groundswell of public and political support to meet the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. 

Participants developed mock communications campaigns based on the Aichi Targets and identified ways of reaching policy makers outside of the environmental sphere.

The debate helped the CBD Secretariat define its strategy for meeting the communications and advocacy objectives of the Convention by:

  • Ensuring that effective communication on biodiversity reaches decision makers outside the conservation community, by crafting should be evidence-based messages that advocate for the need and benefits of mitigating biodiversity loss and sustainably managing biodiversity
  • Sharing data that makes the case for achieving the Aichi Targets and sustainably managing biodiversity with businesses, ministers and other decision-makers beyond the ministries of environment
  • Improving cooperation between conservationists, broader environmental organizations  and the media to craft compelling messages
  • Developing improved campaign templates to help guide communication activities more effectively
  • Implementing effective media training opportunities on biodiversity jointly with other environmental conventions

To learn more about the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

For more information, please contact Niamh.Brannigan[at]un.org.