| Countdown 2010 brings message of hope |
22 May 2008, Bonn, Germany
Celebrating international biodiversity day, the annual Countdown 2010 Partners' Assembly convened at the CBD/COP9 in Bonn on 22 May. The Assembly provides a platform for Countdown 2010 partners to share experiences, tell about their activities and think about future steps.
 The meeting, attended by some 200 people, was opened by Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Director of the CBD Secretariat. Pavan Sukhdev, Managing Director & Head of Deutsche Bank’s Global Markets Business in India, provided some insight in the upcoming report on 'Reversing Biodiversity Loss: from Costs to Benefits'. This report looks into economic aspects related to biodiversity loss and costs of not acting to halt biodiversity loss. 'If we want to make poverty history, we have to make biodiversity the future', Mr Sukhdev said. The report will be officially launched on 28 May in Bonn.
Countdown 2010 partners were given the opportunity to present their work. Ben Delbaere, ECNC Deputy Director, presented ECNC's activities with a focus on the enthusiasm and positive spirit of the non-traditional stakeholders. Countdown 2010 provides an angle for others to become more easily involved, as ECNC witnesses through its involvement with partners in the Province of Noord-Brabant, in other parts of the Netherlands, in Zagreb, Budapest and other parts of Europe. At the end of the Assembly Ignace Schops, winner of the 2008 European Goldman Environmental Prize, presented Countdown 2010 awards to the presented projects. ECNC received an Activity Award for its implementation of commitments towards the 2010 biodiversity target.
The afternoon was devoted to four workshops that all looked at the future, at a possible target beyond 2010. Again the main spirit from these workshops was to focus on positive messages and to brand biodiversity. ECNC is dedicated and committed to keep this spirit alive.
For further information, contact Ben Delbaere, ECNC Deputy Director. |
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