Innovative communication to mainstream the importance of biological diversity to human well-being

With the "Mission Sustainability" as its driving force, "the Aichi Targets (named after a Japanese realm where new goals to conserve the biodiversity were set two years ago) are aimed at addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, reducing the direct pressure on it, and improving the status by safeguarding ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity. Aichi Biodiversity Target 1 states that by 2020, at the latest, people must be made aware of the value of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably. India's National Biodiversity Target 1 specifies that: "By 2020, a significant proportion of the country's population, especially the youth, is aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably".

Here is where the Biodiversity Communication Centre of CEC will step in to promote proactive engagement specifically in all sectors, and focus intensively on engaging with the corporate sector, civil society, and the policymakers at the level of the government - all major stakeholders specially youth who have a big and critical role to play in the conservation of India's rich biodiversity treasures and ensure that the nation's biodiversity targets get incorporated into policy decisions. The BCC will align its programmes and initiatives with the Aichi and the National Biodiversity Targets, the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, and the International Day for Biodiversity held on May 22, each year.

The Centre will assess the state of knowledge and awareness on biodiversity and determine the capacity for communication, develop key messages, strategies methods, develop toolkits, and implement communication programmes to strengthen formal and informal systems to mainstream biodiversity conservation among the stakeholders at large, and the youth specifically.

The Biodiversity Communication Centre of CEC will step in to promote proactive engagement specifically in all sectors, and focus intensively on engaging with the corporate sector, civil society, and the policymakers at the level of the government - all major stakeholders specially youth who have a big and critical role to play in the conservation of India's rich biodiversity treasures and ensure that the nation's biodiversity targets get incorporated into policy decisions.