Australia's Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010-2020: Scientists' letter of concern

Abstract

At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, in Rio de Janeiro, 1992, most nations endorsed the new Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The CBD is one of the most highly supported of international environmental agreements, with over 190 signatory nations. Australia is one of these nations, and in 1996, in accordance with the CBD’s requirements, all Australian State and Territory governments, as well as the Commonwealth Government, endorsed The National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity. Although in some ways a far-sighted document that has achieved significant advances in biodiversity conservation in Australia, we are concerned that many of the actions proposed in the 1996 strategy have been poorly implemented or not implemented at all over the last 12 years.