Japan adopts legislation to combat biodiversity loss

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Two days after the G8 Environment Ministers Meeting in Kobe, the National Diet of Japan adopted the Basic Act on Biodiversity. The Act formally recognises biodiversity as a challenge all countries must face and one that needs immediate nonpartisan action.

Two days after the G8 Environment Ministers Meeting in Kobe, the National Diet of Japan adopted the Basic Act on Biodiversity. The Act formally recognises biodiversity as a challenge all countries must face and one that needs immediate nonpartisan action.

The Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan and the New Komeito have been instrumental in putting the issue high on Diet's agenda. The Act was passed on 28 May, two years before the next Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held in Nagoya, Japan in 2010. The future host country believes that it will make a difference in the state of biodiversity worldwide.

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The Basic Act on Biodiversity aims to promote conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity, while identifying the responsibilities of everyone-from business, national and local governments to civil society and individuals.

Outline of the bill