Looking beyond national borders

Spatial claims related to national consumption and economic activity causes biodiversity loss beyond a country’s national borders. Biodiversity policies therefore have a national component of how to reduce domestic biodiversity loss, an international component of how to reduce biodiversity loss from imports, and a third component that addresses the linkage between the first two. Integrated assessment can stimulate countries to quantify and account for international trade-offs and take responsibility for biodiversity impacts outside their national borders. From the national ecological footprint is estimated that the Netherlands uses about twice its national land area in other production countries. In addition, the spatial claims related to imported commodities used in the production of Dutch exports are estimated to approach this amount of land, although quantification has proved difficult.

Read more on sustainable production within national borders

Read more on inland consumption and export

Four instruments for reducing biodiversity loss abroad

Four instruments for reducing biodiversity loss abroad are certification of trade chains, implementation of measures to ban illegal trade, eco-regional investments to combine biodiversity conservation with local economic development, and compensation of biodiversity loss. The certification of sustainable production systems is increasing, but not all sectors and products are involved, and the market shares of some certificated products seem to be reaching an upper limit. Achieving a certain market share depends on government policies. Certification proceeds to go beyond the voluntary approach for niche markets and brings sustainable production practices into the mainstream. This requires stimulating policies and level-playing-field regulations.

On the demand side, improving sustainability implies changing consumption patterns so that global demand for wood, fibres and food can continue to be met. The level of consumer demand is part of the solution.  

 

Read more on certification of trade chains

Read more on banning illegal trade

Read more on consumer demand

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