Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to (a) support biodiversity and (b) help prevent the extinction of endangered species.

Tackling climate change and biodiversity loss remain high priorities for this Government. It is critical to poverty reduction, protecting the planet for future generations and achieving the sustainable development goals.

DFID has a number of programmes that support biodiversity and help prevent the extinction of endangered species, for example in our significant support for sustainable forestry and land use. The UK is also a strong supporter of the Global Environment Facility. At UNCAS last September, the PM announced a new £220 million International Biodiversity Fund, which includes the £100 million Biodiverse Landscapes Fund under design, as well as an uplift of £90 million to the Darwin Initiative and £30 million to the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.

The UK’s objective for CBD COP 15 is to agree a framework that spurs action and the transformative changes needed for halting and reversing global biodiversity loss. We will support ambitious and practical targets, strengthened by coherent implementation mechanisms that are consummate with the scale of the challenge. The UK is also a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which implements strict controls to ensure that international trade in listed species is sustainable, legal and traceable.