Create mandatory, clear measures connecting human activities with biodiversity goals#
Description#
General description
Achieving meaningful progress in biodiversity conservation requires clear, enforceable measures that directly link human activities with biodiversity goals. Currently, the lack of legally binding measures and specific success targets hinders the effective integration of biodiversity considerations into sectoral activities such as fisheries, tourism, and offshore energy (CBD, 2022; European Commission, 2020). This gap often results in fragmented efforts and insufficient accountability, undermining conservation objectives (IPBES, 2019).
To address this, the proposed solution advocates for the establishment of mandatory measures that set explicit biodiversity targets and ensure accountability through robust monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. By embedding these targets into legally binding frameworks, human activities can be managed more effectively to align with conservation goals (UNEP, 2021). Such frameworks would not only enhance conservation efforts but also foster greater transparency and accountability across sectors, ensuring compliance with global biodiversity targets like those in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (CBD, 2022).
Main purpose To ensure the effective integration of biodiversity goals into policies steering human activities, the following actions are recommended:
Develop legally binding measures that establish clear links between sectoral activities and biodiversity objectives.
Set specific, measurable targets for success to track progress and ensure compliance.
Implement robust enforcement mechanisms to hold stakeholders accountable for biodiversity outcomes.
Barriers addressed
Lack of legal mandates:
Current policies provide only voluntary guidelines with limited enforcement capabilities (e.g., Guidelines for implementing an ecosystem-based approach in maritime spatial planning).
Absence of accountability mechanisms hinders compliance with biodiversity goals.
Difficulty in aligning sectoral economic activities with conservation priorities.
Inconsistent monitoring and evaluation:
Inadequate monitoring frameworks to assess the impact of human activities on biodiversity.
Lack of standardized indicators to track progress and measure success.
Fragmented data collection and reporting across different sectors and governance levels.
Sectoral resistance to regulation:
Stakeholders often perceive biodiversity measures as restrictive to economic growth.
Need for increased awareness and capacity-building to ensure sectoral buy-in.
Limited incentives to encourage voluntary compliance with biodiversity objectives.
Policy relevance This solution aligns with the EUBS2030, which calls for legally binding targets to protect 30% of EU marine areas and restore degraded ecosystems. It supports the MSFD by promoting GES and advances the integration of biodiversity objectives into MSP frameworks. Establishing mandatory measures also strengthens compliance with international commitments under the CBD and regional sea conventions such as HELCOM and OSPAR.
Implementation
Developing legally binding measures: Establish new regulations or strengthen existing frameworks to ensure human activities are aligned with biodiversity targets, incorporating sector-specific guidelines and legally enforceable requirements.
Setting specific biodiversity targets: Define measurable biodiversity targets for each sector and align with broader environmental objectives.
Enhancing monitoring and enforcement: Implement a robust compliance framework that includes regular inspections, reporting requirements, and penalties for non-compliance, supported by advanced monitoring technologies such as remote sensing and automated data collection.
Impact and effort
Impact: Very High
This solution can significantly improve biodiversity conservation by ensuring human activities contribute to, rather than undermine, biodiversity objectives. Clear targets and enforcement mechanisms will enhance compliance and accountability across all relevant sectors.
Required effort: Very High
The implementation of mandatory measures requires extensive legislative changes, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building. Substantial financial and technical investments will be needed to establish monitoring systems and enforcement mechanisms, ensuring the success and sustainability of the proposed measures.
Mandatory measures to connect human activities and biodiversity goals: good practices
Legislative integration: The MSP Directive requires EU Member States to integrate biodiversity objectives into marine spatial plans, ensuring compatibility between human activities and environmental goals.
Monitoring frameworks: The MSFD mandates quantitative criteria for GES, serving as a benchmark for connecting human activities with biodiversity outcomes.
Cross-sectoral collaboration: The use of inter-ministerial working groups in several countries, such as Finland, enables effective coordination and knowledge sharing to align sectoral activities with biodiversity targets.
Germany: Implementation of research programs that focus on the spatial and temporal distribution of species affected by human activities, such as offshore wind energy development. These studies provide critical data for setting biodiversity targets.
Finland: Finland’s VELMU program has been systematically collecting marine biodiversity data for over 20 years, offering a robust foundation for policy formulation and evaluation.