24 September 2020

Launch of the Plant Conservation Report 2020

A report which examines the progress on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.

By Kew Science News

Close-up photography of water on leaf

This week saw the launch of the Plant Conservation Report 2020 produced by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The report examines progress on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, a strategy which aims to halt the loss of plant diversity worldwide and previously agreed by the UK and 195 other governments around the world.

This in-depth report celebrates 20 years of targeted action towards safeguarding biodiversity, and reviews progress towards 16 individual targets.

These targets include creating an online flora of all known plants and to eliminate the threat to biodiversity through international trade.

Notable progress with some targets include the ex situ conservation of the genetic diversity of crop species and their wild relatives, as well as actions for individual species conservation through programmes such as Red Listing – much of this work has been completed by Kew’s own scientists over the course of the last 10 years.

However, the report also acknowledges that there is much more work to be done. Such work will now lead to new 2030 biodiversity targets.

A number of Kew Scientists contributed directly to the report including, Steve Bachman, Colin Clubbe, Carly Cowell and Eimear Nic Lughadha.

Dr Carly Cowell, one of the contributors, and Kew’s lead scientist in international plant trade says

"This report highlights the need for measurable targets. Kew’s success towards achieving several targets provides an opportunity to take this learning into the post-2020 Biodiversity Framework Targets, so that in the next phase the world can make an even bigger impact on combating biodiversity loss"

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State of the World's Plants and Fungi Virtual Symposium

Join international experts 13 - 15 October 2020 to discuss actions for protecting and sustainably using the world’s plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of people and the planet.

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