Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Mikkonen to visit Trondheim for biodiversity conference
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen will travel to Trondheim for a conference dealing with biodiversity to be held on Tuesday 2 July. The meeting, now organised for the ninth time, supports the advancement of the international Convention on Biological Diversity. This year’s conference will bring together decision-makers and experts from nearly 120 different countries.
The conference offers decision-makers an opportunity to discuss key issues related to the advancement of biodiversity outside of the formal negotiation process. The discussions will lay the groundwork for the 2020 UN Biodiversity Conference, where the nations of the world will come together to agree on new biodiversity targets.
The negotiations on biodiversity targets will already begin in autumn 2019. As the holder of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, Finland aims to promote an ambitious, clear road map for curbing biodiversity loss and improving the state of the environment. The purpose of the road map is to conceptualise targets for 2030, 2040 and 2050. Finland considers it important for companies and civil society organisations, in addition to states, to participate in creating the road map.
“For the future of humanity, halting the loss of biodiversity is just as important as combating climate change. We need ambitious commitments and a clear way forward. It is important for us to set our sights ahead to 2050, because improving the state of the environment depends on long-term work,” says Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.
In addition to Mikkonen from Finland, the conference in Trondheim will be attended by ministers from Norway, Germany, China, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Uganda, Colombia, Costa Rica, Burkina Faso and Serbia. At the meeting, the ministers will adopt a declaration on the advancement of biodiversity.
Minister Mikkonen will also meet at the conference with UN Assistant Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity Cristiana Pașca Palmer and Executive Director of the United Nations Environmental Programme Inger Andersen.
The conference is organised by the UN Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the Norwegian Government.
- Trondheim Conference website (trondheimconference.org)
Inquiries:
Marina von Weissenberg, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 295 250 321, [email protected]
Ismo Tiainen, Director of Administration and International Affairs, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 295 250 294, [email protected]
Requests for interviews:
Alisa Vänttinen, Communications Specialist, tel. +358 295 250 219, [email protected]