Environment weighs up pros and cons of biodiversity commitment

ENVIRONMENT is investigating whether Guernsey should be signed up to international rules on biodiversity.

Extending the UK's signatory of the United Nations convention on biological diversity to the island is one of 16 actions in the States Environmental Strategic Plan.

But department chief officer Steve Smith (pictured) said a lot of research had to take place before anything was decided.

'Protecting biodiversity is a fundamental element of sustainable living,' he said.

'It recognises that a healthy planet is a biologically diverse planet and the greater the diversity the greater the opportunity presented to species, including man, and habitats to survive changing conditions and to thrive.

'The international convention recognises this and by signing the convention governments commit to the convention goals but they also commit to the mechanisms for achieving those goals.'

He said the department wanted to make sure that having the UK's signature to the convention extended to the island was the best way forward to protect biodiversity in Guernsey.

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