A mid-term review of the Finnish strategy and action plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in 2016

Abstract

On 20 December 2012, the Finnish Government approved a resolution on a Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Finland for the years 2012–2020. The Government resolution required monitoring and assessing the implementation of the strategy and action plan and reporting the results to the Government. The Ministerial working group on the bioeconomy and clean solutions dealt with the mid-term review on 8 June 2016. Finland has committed to the main goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which are the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources. Finland has also committed to implementing these main goals even more effectively in order to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2020 on a global, regional and national scale. The mid-term review shows that the work to implement the strategy has primarily progressed well in the different administrative branches, the private sector, and the third sector. In the light of the current developments, halting the loss of biodiversity by 2020 does not seem to be possible; rather considerably more effective measures are needed. The information about the status of biodiversity indicates that some of the measures have already had a positive effect, but the negative trends in habitats and species seem to continue in many respects