Disappointment over failure to submit National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
We are deeply disappointed and frustrated that the Dutch government has not submitted its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for the CBD COP16 in Cali. This disregard for international agreements undermines the concerted global effort to address the urgent biodiversity crisis.
The NBSAP is a mandatory requirement for all countries party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Netherlands, along with 195 other countries, has committed to developing and submitting updated NBSAPs that are in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a key commitment adopted in 2021.
Both ENDS, together with other stakeholders such as scientists, companies, NGOs and government agencies, has been actively involved in preparing the NBSAP for the Netherlands since last year. We consulted our partners, environmental organisations from the South, and brought their opinions to the ministry's consultation. It is interesting to note that our partners praised the ministry for the inclusive process that had been initiated.
The Dutch consultation resulted in a carefully drafted NBSAP, outlining concrete steps to achieve globally agreed biodiversity targets. This plan was ready in the first half of the year, well ahead of the CBD deadline.
The Dutch government's failure to submit the NBSAP constitutes a setback for international biodiversity efforts and sends the worrying message that biodiversity is not a priority for the current government. The government's justification for not submitting-‘The government wants to further flesh out the NBSAP along the lines of the outline agreement and the coalition programme.’-is unacceptable, given the urgency of the global biodiversity crisis. This excuse shows a disturbing lack of understanding of the gravity of the situation. The world is facing an unprecedented decline in biodiversity, with serious consequences for human well-being, societies, nature and the future of our planet. The Netherlands' failure to submit the NBSAP undermines the global cooperation needed to halt and reverse this disastrous trend.
Both ENDS calls on the Dutch government to submit the carefully drafted NBSAP without further delay.
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News / 16 August 2019
Opinion: "Sustainable land use needs radical policy change"
Today, an op-ed by Nathalie van Haren and Stefan Schüller was published in the Dutch national newspaper De Volkskrant about the IPCC's latest report "Climate Change and Land". Below you find the English translation.
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Event / 11 September 2019, 08:00 - 10:00
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At the UNCCD COP14 in India, which is taking place from 2-13 September 2019, Both ENDS is co-organising a number of side events.
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Event / 3 September 2019, 13:00 - 15:00
UNCCD COP14: Pathways for big money to reach local communities
At the UNCCD COP14 in India, which is taking place from 2-13 September 2019, Both ENDS is co-organising a number of side events.
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Dossier /
The Netherlands, the world and the elections
Elections are soon to be held in the Netherlands. The political parties are sharpening their knives and have outlined their plans in hefty manifestos. Not surprisingly, they mainly focus on domestic issues. International themes are primarily addressed in terms of opportunities for Dutch companies and threats in areas like health, privacy and competition that we need to protect ourselves against. But if we want to make the Netherlands sustainable, we especially need to look at our footprint beyond our own borders and make every effort to reduce it. In the weeks leading up to the elections, Both ENDS looks at where the parties' manifestos offer opportunities to achieve that.
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Press release / 26 August 2020
Dutch pension funds invest in deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon
Dutch pension money is invested heavily in companies that contribute to deforestation in the Amazon region and the Cerrado savanna in Brazil, such as soy, animal feed and beef companies. This is concluded in a report published today by Profundo, commisioned by the Fair Finance Guide, Hivos and Both ENDS. All ten pension funds that were examined invest in these types of companies, with the ABP pension fund and Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn on top with investments worth EUR 580 million and EUR 383 million respectively.
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Publication / 26 August 2020
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News / 17 September 2019
Both ENDS and the climate strike
On September 20 and 27 the global climate strike takes place. Both ENDS joins the Dutch Climate Strike on September 27 in The Hague. This is why.
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News / 17 June 2021
Celebrating community led initiatives on World Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Day
Today is World Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Day. Such a day is more than needed to get attention for desertification, land degradation and drought that are threatening and hitting hundreds of millions of people in many regions throughout the world. While the causes - such as large-scale agriculture, use of pesticides, water extraction and climate change - are clear and need to be stopped, it is just as important to focus on solutions like restoration and sustainable land use.– in line with World Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Day's theme for this year: 'Restoration. Land. Recovery. We build back better with healthy land', we will therefore especially focus on inspiring solutions during the next few weeks.
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Dossier /
The Netherlands and the SDGs: A better world starts with yourself
In 2015, the member states of the United Nations committed themselves to the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unlike their predecessors, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs recognise the importance of equality within and between countries, of decision-making processes in which all people are included and heard, and of legal systems that are independent and accessible to all.
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News / 10 August 2021
Opinion: The genie will escape from the bottle if we don’t change our approach to nature
As a response to the latest IPCC report, the directors of IUCN NL, Tropenbos International, Wetlands International, Both ENDS and the Institute for Environmental Security wrote an op-ed about the role nature policy can and should play in stopping climate change, which was published in Dutch in De Volkskrant of August 10, 2021. Below, you find the English translation of the article.
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News / 20 June 2021
Organic wild rooibos in South Africa’s dryland
South Africa is the home of rooibos, an ancient, health giving herbal infusion, discovered thousands of years ago by the KhoiSan, indigenous peoples of the Southern part of Africa. During the last century, rooibos has been increasingly commercialised, mainly by white South African farmers who produce it on a very large scale, causing environmental damage, soil erosion and loss of biodiversity. Fortunately, small-scale, environmentally sound and community-led rooibos cultivation initiatives also exist. Our long-standing South African partner Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG) has, for more than two decades, been involved in this type of rooibos cultivation with the communities in the Suid Bokkeveld, in the western part of South Africa. Although it was not always easy, Noel Oettle, senior advisor at EMG, thinks this way of producing is the future.
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News / 14 March 2021
Vote for the Climate!
A number of our colleagues at Both ENDS made a lot of noise at various locations around the country today, as part of the national Klimaatalarm (Climate Alarm) campaign. Annelieke Douma gave a short speech in Haarlem on the major role played by the Netherlands in climate change and environmental degradation beyond our borders. She made a number of suggestions that would immediately make Dutch foreign policy a lot more climate-friendly. Below is the text of her speech.
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News / 27 May 2021
Friday May 28: international day at the Wake for the Climate
During the formation of a new Dutch government after the general elections in March, a group of concerned citizens is holding a wake in front of the Prime Minister's residence to remind the political leaders of the climate crisis. On Friday May 28, they will pay attention to the international aspect, initiated by Cordaid, Oxfam Novib, Care, ActionAid, WECF, Hivos and Tearfund. Both ENDS is happy to support the initiative.
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Letter / 9 June 2022
Appeal to the FAO to rescind the FAO partnership with CropLife
Pesticide Action Network and 430 civil society and indigenous peoples organizations from 69 countries have sent a letter of concern to the 170th session of FAO council about the FAO partnership agreement with CropLife International.
CropLife International is a global trade association whose members are the world's largest agrichemical, pesticide and seed companies: BASF, Bayer Crop Science, Corteva Agriscience, FMC Corporation, Sumitomo Chemical and Syngenta. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) en CropLife International have started a partnership in 2020 to collaborate on pesticide use. We think that this partnership is incompatible with FAO's obligations to uphold human rights, directly counters any efforts toward progressively banning Highly Hazardous Pesticides, and undercuts the FAO and several Member States' support for agroecology and other transformative practices.
The letter asks the Council to review and end immediately the partnership agreement with CropLife International.
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Event / 5 September 2019, 13:00 - 15:00
UNCCD COP14: Communities regreen the Sahel
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Publication / 14 January 2019
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Publication / 14 January 2019
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Event / 5 September 2017
UNCCD COP 2017 - CHINA
From 6-16 september, the 13th Conference of Parties' of the UNCCD (UN Convention to Combat Desertification) took place, this time in Ordos, China. The UNCCD is the global convention of the United Nations on combating desertification and drought. Every country in the world has signed this convention. Canada withdrew in 2012, but in 2016 - under the Trudeau administration - started a process to re-enter the convention. Both ENDS is a member of Drynet, a network of local organisations and communities in dry regions searching for ways to use land in a sustainable manner.
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Dossier /
Finance for agroecology
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Publication / 24 April 2023