The Swedish Presidency wishes to contribute to the communication on the importance and value of biodiversity through the web platform se2009.eu/biodiversity. The initiative can be seen as a prelude to next year – the International Year of Biodiversity, the EU campaign on biodiversity and CBD COP 10.

The se2009.eu/biodiversity website contains reports from the meeting in Strömstad and background information, a new presentation material, an inspiring and thought-provoking slideshow, best practice examples from EU Member States and an exhibition, created especially for the meeting in Strömstad.

• Communication – important to the achievement of biodiversity objectives

The slideshow communicates the importance of and facts about the links between biodiversity, ecosystem services, resilience and development issues, connected to the climate crisis. It is an old adage that "pictures say more than a thousand words". Many pictures and less text brings the message to life and gives the viewer an emotional experience, providing scope for his or her own thoughts and associations.

• Pictures say more than a thousand words

The presentation material is based on the same information as the slideshow, but is more detailed in its content and focuses more on text than pictures. The presentation material describes the links between biodiversity, ecosystem services, resilience and development issues, connected to the climate crisis. It also describes the EU’s progress towards CBD COP 10 in Nagoya, and a new global agreement on biodiversity post-2010. The material can be used as a knowledge base and inspiration when giving speeches and presentations or when holding discussions and seminars on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The presentation will soon be available.

• Presentation material

The ambition is to create a bank of best practice examples from different EU Member States. There are many good examples around Europe of how biodiversity and local development can go hand in hand. Best practice convinces people and shows that it is important to have visions and objectives for the global efforts to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services, not least in light of impending climate change. Examples of initiatives to safeguard biodiversity from EU Member States will be presented on the website.

• Best practice shows the way

An exhibition was produced in conjunction with the high-level meeting “Visions for Biodiversity beyond 2010 – People, Ecosystem Services and the Climate Crisis” in Strömstad, Sweden. Here, the exhibition has been packaged for se2009.eu/biodiversity. Why not make a virtual visit to the exhibition.

The exhibition was produced by the Swedish Presidency in cooperation with Stockholm Resilience Center/Albaeco at Stockholm University and the Swedish Species Information Centre.

• Exhibition