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Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC Federal Office for the Environment FOEN Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible? COP12 Side event on external responsibility on global biodiversity loss, 15.10.2014, Pyeongchang (Rep.of Korea) Hall B, Room 1 - NGOs meeting room Christoph Dürr, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment Forest Division

Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

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Presentació de Christoph Dürr a la XII Reunió del Conveni de Diversitat Biològica en el marc d'una sessió de treball on va participar Catalunya juntament amb la Xarxa de governs regionals per al desenvolupament sostenible, nrg4SDva. Christoph Dürr de la International Forest Policy Adviser Federal Office for the Environment de Suïssa va exposar que el seu govern està revisant el seu marc legal per incorporar l'impacte ambiental de les seves actuacions internacionals. De fet, es tracta de ser un país responsable amb la seva petjada ecològica més enllà de les pròpies fronteres i trobar el consens i l'assumpció de responsabilitats pel consum dels béns públics ambientals.

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Page 1: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

Federal Department of the Environment,Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC

Federal Office for the Environment FOEN

Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

COP12 Side event on external responsibility on global

biodiversity loss, 15.10.2014, Pyeongchang (Rep.of Korea)Hall B, Room 1 - NGOs meeting room

Christoph Dürr, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment

Forest Division

Page 2: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

2 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

Introduction: Swiss consumption‘s impacts on the environment abroad

Page 3: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

3 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

1. Step: Tracking Switzerland‘s land use footprint: potential damage to biodiversity

Rising share of impacts abroad due to domestic consumption. A similar picture results for the nitrogen footprint.

Page 4: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

4 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

2. Step: Translating the Limits of Our Planet to a National Footprint Perspective

Goal: Translating the limits of our planet into footprint limit values for Switzerland ( in a consumption perspective)

The study is conducted by UNEP-GRID (expected 2015) and is inspired by Nykvist et al. (2013).

Page 5: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

5 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

The challenging quest for footprint limit values!

What is the maximum admissiblelevel?

Publication of the study is planned for the end of this year.

Page 6: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

6 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

Footprint limits: Which share for Switzerland?•1st step of the study: equal rights for global environmental public goods per capita are assumed (and thus equal "rights to pollute").

•2nd step: the limit values are refined according to other considerations e.g. historic responsibility, basic human needs, how much is left, etc.

Page 7: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

7 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

3. The Context of Green Economy Policy

Page 8: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

8 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

Popular initiative for a Green Economy

"Popular initiative" is a direct-democratic instrument in Switzerland: Anyone can propose a constitutional amendment (needs 100'000 valid signatures), on which the Swiss citizens eventually has to vote on.

Page 9: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

9 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

Revision of the environment protection act(Government proposition)The Swiss government prepared a counter-proposal: the revision of the environment protection act.• A new Article (10h) states the duty of the

Confederation to aim at reducing environmental impacts taking into account impacts caused abroad.

• It also schedules a mechanism for setting targets and reporting on achievement.

• A set of concrete measures is proposed in the domains of consumption and production as well as circular economy

The proposal is currently being debated in parliament.

Page 10: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

10 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

Open questions for discussion

• Is there a responsibility of countries to reduce their land use / biodiversity footprint? (including abroad)

• What is a „fair share“ of resource consumption - in a global context?

• How to achieve consensus on „fair share“?

Page 11: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

11 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

Further information:

http://www.bafu.admin.ch/wirtschaft/00517/11301/index.html?lang=en

[email protected]

[email protected]

Thank you!

Page 12: Switzerland: Where's the limit: What level of biodiversity impacts from consumption is admissible?

12 Which limits to the biodiversity footprint of consumption? | External Responsibility on global biodiversity loss / COP 12 side event , Swiss FOEN, Christoph Dürr & Andreas Hauser 15.10.2014

Appendix