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Biodiversity indicators SEBI 2010 among the 'best ideas to save nature'

News Published 17 Jun 2008 Last modified 21 Jun 2016

2 min read

Topics: Biodiversity — Ecosystems Policy instruments

SEBI 2010 (Streamlining European 2010 Biodiversity Indicators) has received an award from the Spanish magazine 'Red Life' and the Fundación Caja Rural del Sur as 'one of 10 best ideas to save nature in 2008'. The European Environment Agency is coordinating this pan-European initiative to measure and help achieve progress towards the target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010.

Loss of biodiversity in Europe is a fact. But how can we measure the extent of the loss and the threat it poses? Many European countries have developed, or are developing, their own indicators to measure changes in biodiversity in their territory. At the same time, progress is also being measured at the global level. Ensuring consistency between indicators at national, regional and global level is essential.

The SEBI 2010 process brings together national administrations, NGOs and international organisations, and has compiled a first set of 26 indicators. Based on these indicators, an assessment report on Europe's progress towards the 2010 target will be published by the EEA in 2009.

The award ceremony took place on Monday 16 June 2008 in Sevilla, Spain.

What the SEBI 2010 indicators tell us

Some well-monitored species, for example butterflies, are experiencing a worrying decline. The European Butterfly Indicator for grassland butterflies shows a dramatic reduction of abundance by almost 50 % since 1990.
Protected areas have been increasing, both in numbers and area. Almost one million square kilometres have been designated in 37 European countries.
Europe consumes more than its land and water area can produce and produces more waste than its environment can absorb.

SEBI 2010 background

The SEBI 2010 process was started in 2005 to provide a streamlined set of biodiversity indicators for Europe. It tries to ensure consistency between biodiversity indicator sets at national and international levels without creating new monitoring or reporting obligations.

SEBI 2010 relies on the contribution of more than 120 experts from across the pan-European region and from international intergovernmental organisations and NGOs. Its institutional partners are the European Environment Agency (and its European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity), the European Centre for Nature Conservation, UNEP's World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the European Commission, the Joint Secretariat of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS), and the Czech Republic (as lead country for the Kiev Resolution action plan on biodiversity indicators).

The SEBI 2010 process will cover 53 countries across the pan-European region.