World Biodiversity Day 2024

World Biodiversity Day, celebrated every year on 22 May, is a crucial time to reflect on the importance of biological diversity for the ecosystem and for humanity. The biodiversity encompasses the variety of all life forms on earth, which is essential for human sustenance and well-being. Each species, from the largest to the microscopic, plays a significant role in the ecosystem, contributing to ecosystem services such as air and water purification, soil fertility and pest control. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) points out that more than 25 per cent of species are threatened with extinction, signalling an alarming diversity loss that threatens the stability of the world's ecosystems.

World Biodiversity Day is celebrated every year on 22 May and originates from the signing of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nairobi in 1992. This international treaty aims to conserve biodiversity, promote its sustainable use and ensure a fair distribution of the benefits derived from genetic resources. Originally, this day was set for 29 December, when the CBD came into force in 1993, but in 2000 it was moved to 22 May. The change was motivated by the need to facilitate the organisation of events during a less crowded holiday period, allowing for wider mobilisation and awareness on a global scale.

The theme of the World Biodiversity Day 2024 is "Be part of the plan", a call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. This theme emphasises support for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a critical action plan for the future of global biological diversity. As stated by the ISPRA, this year's celebration of the International Day of Biodiversity coincides with two important meetings of the subsidiary bodies of the Convention on Biological Diversity that will both take place in Nairobi: the 26th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA, 13-18 May) and the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI, 21-29 May).

As stated by ISPRA, "IPBES claims that approximately 1 million species are threatened with extinction. Of these, 50% could become extinct by the end of this century. The authors of the report have coined the expression 'dead species walking' for the approximately 500,000 species that are not yet extinct, but which due to the destruction and degradation of the habitats available to them and other factors related to human activities (over-exploitation, pollution, climate-change and the spread of invasive alien species) see their chances of long-term survival reduced." According to data published by Eurostat, between 2011 and 2020, protected land areas in the countries of the European Union increased from approximately 758,000 to 764,000 km2, an increase of just under 6,000 km2 (+0.50%). The importance of targeted interventions and effective governance is therefore increasingly urgent to have a positive impact on the conservation of ecosystems and threatened species.

3Bee is a pioneering applied nature technology nature tech company developing technologies for monitoring, protecting and regenerating biodiversity. With its scientific approach, 3Bee is the development partner for the Biodiversity & Climate Strategy of organisations and companies, in line with the ESG goals. The 3Bee team consists of engineers, biologists, agronomists, data scientists and communication professionals, strengthened by significant scientific collaborations with organisations such as the ESA (European Space Agency), the CREA and the CNR. monitoring is the first of 3Bee's three pillars: thanks to proprietary technologies based on bioacoustics and remote sensing, naturetech is able to monitor the health of pollinators and their connection to ecosystems, providing quantitative and qualitative data crucial for the identification of targeted biodiversity conservation and regeneration actions.

Starting with monitoring by means of technology, 3Bee develops projects for the regeneration of urban or agroforestry areas with low biodiversity ranging from a few square metres to hundreds of hectares. These are spaces dedicated to the protection of biodiversity and the pollinating insects, known as Oasis 3Bee, which companies can also choose to create within their own company premises. The pillars of 3Bee therefore also include regeneration and, finally, training. Indeed, naturetech is in charge of training corporate leaders and sustainability professionals with initiatives geared towards continuous ESG training in blended learning, both digital and in-person. Each programme is tailor-made to fit the company's needs and objectives, as well as monitoring and regeneration projects, totally tailor-made.