butterfly-Ecuador.jpg

Black and white butterfly rests on a colorful flower.
Caption: 
Butterfly, Chilmá Bajo, Ecuador, part of the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena Biodiversity Hotspot.
Credit: 
© José María Loaiza - Fundación ALTROPICO

What is the Convention on Biological Diversity?

The U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international treaty—signed by 196 parties—supporting the conservation of the variety of life on Earth.

It was signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, making it the first global agreement to cover all aspects of biological diversity: its conservation, sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.

Why is this important? Because biodiversity is crucial for sustainable development and human well-being. At least 40 percent of the world’s economy and 80 percent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. Fresh water, food, raw materials, medicines, climate regulation—all are underpinned by biological diversity.

CEPF works with the signatories of the CBD, nongovernmental organizations and communities in the world’s biodiversity hotspots to establish long-term, locally led conservation initiatives that guide sustainable use and equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity.

The parties to the convention have an enormous challenge ahead of them to achieve the Convention’s 2011-2020 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, also known as the Aichi Targets, and every step taken towards these targets is important.

How CEPF's Grantees are helping

To date, CEPF has supported more than 2,500 civil society grantee partners in more than 90 countries and territories for projects that not only implement CEPF’s conservation strategies, but also make significant contributions to the Aichi Targets. Our annual Impact Report provides data on contributions to the Aichi Targets. A few examples:

Target 1. By 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably. 

  • At least 187,461 people have benefited from training in biodiversity, conservation and related topics.
  • CEPF has supported a total of 540 projects with primary emphases of education, awareness and/or capacity building, valued at US$35,990,916.

Target 2. By 2020, at the latest, biodiversity values have been integrated into national and local development and poverty reduction strategies and planning processes and are being incorporated into national accounting, as appropriate, and reporting systems. 

  • CEPF has influenced 434 policies, laws or regulations in 25 biodiversity hotspots.
  • CEPF has supported a total of 175 projects in 25 hotspots with a primary focus on integrating biodiversity values into development and poverty reduction planning processes, valued at more than US$17,990,045.

Target 12. By 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained.

  • At least 942 globally threatened species have benefited from CEPF support.
  • CEPF has supported 599 projects with a component focusing on species conservation, totaling US$47,523,337.