The 2030 Agenda and ecosystems: a discussion paper on the links between the Aichi Biodiversity targets and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Biodiversity and ecosystem services are essential to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This Discussion Paper outlines the links between the Aichi Biodiversity Targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals and Targets under the 2030 Agenda. The 2030 Agenda recognises that social and economic development depends on the sustainable management of our planet’s natural resources. The Aichi Biodiversity Targets contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, and the two processes are mutually supportive for effective implementation. To accomplish the 2030 Agenda, there is however a need for improved mainstreaming of enhanced conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems in development decisions, sectors and actions. An analysis of the wording of both the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the SDG Goals and Targets shows strong overlap and synergy between the two processes. The kind of analysis developed in this paper can help to understand these synergies, but further in-depth analysis is needed.