Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Development and Commonwealth Affairs on taking diplomatic steps to create a legally binding international extinction loss and nature preservation target.

Biodiversity loss is a global problem that needs a global solution.

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the main international forum devoted to the conservation and sustainable use of the world’s biodiversity. At CBD COP15, to be held in 2021, the 196 Parties to the Convention are set to adopt a post-2020 global biodiversity framework which will set global targets to combat biodiversity loss.

The UK is committed to playing a leading role in developing an ambitious post-2020 global framework. Our key objective is to agree a framework that spurs the global action needed by supporting ambitious and practical targets, including on species extinction and protected areas, and strengthened coherent implementation mechanisms which are commensurate with the scale of the challenge.

Biodiversity loss cannot be addressed in isolation and is part of a bigger set of interlinked challenges including climate change and development. As such, the new framework must be fit for all, not just environment ministries. We are working across government, including with FCDO, in the lead up to CBD COP15 to ensure these synergies, and the opportunities we have to address them, are best capitalised on. This approach is supported by our ongoing work with FCDO through relevant programmes such as the Darwin Initiative and on joined-up diplomatic outreach on UK nature priorities.

Additionally, we are working with FCDO to leverage transformative action through the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature, which the UK co-created and has been signed by over 80 countries. This Pledge includes a commitment to develop an ambitious post-2020 framework, including targets to halt human-induced species extinction and increase protected areas.