The Corporate Director Communities reported on an update on work to support the Conference of Parties 2022 and to support the Council signing a Declaration to inform the Conference of Parties in 2022. 

The Corporate Director Communities informed Cabinet that in partnership with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the Scottish Government is leading on the ‘Edinburgh Process’, an online, global consultation with sub-national and local governments around the world on their role in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and targets.  She stated that a key outcome of the Edinburgh Process is the Declaration, which is intended to demonstrate the commitment of subnational authorities across the world to deliver for nature over the next decade.  The biodiversity duty included in the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 is intended to support efforts to reverse the decline and secure the long-term resilience of biodiversity in Wales.  The Council had approved its Biodiversity and Ecosystems Resilience Forward Plan, 2018-2022, in 2018, contributing to Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience targets.

The Corporate Director Communities reported that the Welsh Government had requested all local authorities in Wales consider signing the Declaration.

The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations in commending the proposal to sign the Declaration commented on the great amount of biodiversity work being undertaken in the Ogmore Valley in areas such as the old washery site .  The Cabinet Member Communities stated that he would be more than pleased to sign the Declaration on behalf of the Council. 

RESOLVED:           That Cabinet supported the signing of the Declaration to inform the Conference of Parties 2022 and authorised the Cabinet Member – Communities to sign the Declaration on behalf of the Council.