Recommendations

Project	Type	#	Outcome	Report	Year
Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)	Recommendation	16	Research and monitor individual and cumulative effects of stressors and drivers of relevance to biodiversity, with a focus on stressors that are expected to have rapid and significant impacts and issues where knowledge is lacking. This should include, but not be limited to, modelling potential future species range changes as a result of these stressors; developing knowledge of and identifying tipping points, thresholds and cumulative effects for Arctic biodiversity; and developing robust quantitative indicators for stressors through the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program.	Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers	2013
Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)	Key finding	2	Climate change is by far the most serious threat to Arctic biodiversity and exacerbates all other threats.	Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers	2013
Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)	Recommendation	9	Reduce the threat of invasive alien/non-native species to the Arctic by developing and implementing common measures for early detection and reporting, identifying and blocking pathways of introduction, and sharing best practices and techniques for monitoring, eradication and control. This includes supporting international efforts currently underway, for example those of the International Maritime Organization to effectively treat ballast water to clean and treat ship hulls and drilling rigs.	Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers	2013
Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)	Recommendation	2	Incorporate resilience and adaptation of biodiversity to climate change into plans for development in the Arctic.	Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers	2013
Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)	Key finding	4	Disturbance and habitat degradation can diminish Arctic biodiversity and the opportunities for Arctic residents and visitors to enjoy the benefits of ecosystem services.	Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers	2013
Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)	Recommendation	11	Reduce the threat of pollutants to Arctic biodiversity. a. Support and enhance international efforts and cooperation to identify, assess and reduce existing and emerging harmful contaminants. b. Support the development of appropriate prevention and clean up measures and technologies that are responsive to oil spills in the Arctic, especially in ice-filled waters, such that they are ready for implementation in advance of major oil and gas developments. c. Encourage local and national action to implement best practices for local wastes, enhance efforts to clean-up legacy contaminated sites and include contaminant reduction and reclamation plans in development projects.	Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers	2013
Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)	Recommendation	4	Require the incorporation of biodiversity objectives and provisions into all Arctic Council work and encourage the same for on-going and future international standards, agreements, plans, operations and/or other tools specific to development in the Arctic. This should include, but not be restricted to, oil and gas development, shipping, fishing, tourism and mining.	Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers	2013
	Key finding		Biodiversity policy in the Arctic has to reflect the needs of people living in the Arctic, many of whom are indigenous.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Key finding		Biodiversity underpins sustainable development in the Arctic, including economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions. Although there is widespread understanding of the importance of economic development for the well-being of Arctic peoples, there is less understanding of the importance of biodiversity for human well-being, including livelihoods, food security and ecosystem services. Economic development in the Arctic should proceed within the constraints of ensuring the long term sustainability of biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Advice		Mainstream biodiversity; build partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders to seek innovative solutions and expand the responsibility for taking care of biodiversity.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Advice		Develop realistic scenarios to help predict what could happen, given different policy options, in the short term (10 to 15 years) and the long term (over 50 years).	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Key finding		Conservation of Arctic biodiversity is a global issue, as so much that happens outside the Arctic affects what happens inside the Arctic and vice versa. Migratory species provide a good basis to develop the partnerships necessary to ensure the long term viability of shared species, and at the same time to increase awareness of the shared global heritage that Arctic biodiversity represents.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Advice		Develop tools for data sharing so that data collected can be used by a wide range of people engaged in Arctic biodiversity science, policy and management.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Key finding		There is a wide gap between what we know and how we act. Although research to fill gaps in knowledge is still needed, there is enough knowledge about what needs to be done to act now. A companion to this message is the urgent need to shorten the time it takes for scientific understanding to be translated into policy in the Arctic.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Advice		Implement Ecosystem Based Management in marine, terrestrial, freshwater and coastal ecosystems.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Key finding		Conservation of biodiversity and of the ecosystem services it provides requires a long-term perspective and sustained actions at many different temporal and spatial scales.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Advice		Include biodiversity in national accounting so that the true value of healthy Arctic ecosystems is understood, and the true costs of biodiversity loss are accounted for.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Advice		Develop binding agreements related to the conservation and/or sustainable use of biodiversity.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Key finding		The relationship between biodiversity and climate change is complex. While climate change has been identified as the key stressor of Arctic biodiversity, the degree to which it has a negative impact depends on complex relationships between climate change, other stressors, geography, economics, politics and management regimes.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014
	Advice		Map biodiversity hot spots and biologically and ecologically sensitive areas at a scale appropriate for industry to use in their planning.	Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report	2014