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STRATEGIC BACKGROUND
This communication plan promotes the achievement of the goals of the Finnish Na-
tional strategy for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the action
plan 2013–2020 supporting it. The communication plan was drafted by a communica-
tion team on biodiversity appointed by the Ministry of the Environment. This plan
may be used by all parties for planning their communications.
The main goal of the biodiversity strategy is to halt biodiversity loss in Finland by
2020. The leading idea in the efforts to achieve this goal is that biodiversity cannot be
safeguarded by means of conventional nature conservation alone. Mainstreaming
environmental issues across society and harnessing new actors to work for the envi-
ronment play a key role. Decision-making underpinned by robust research, accepting
Finland's responsibility for the global environment as part of the international com-
munity and sustainable use of natural resources are also essential.
The priorities of the strategy and action plan are in line with international policies. At
the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Japan in
2010, it was agreed that loss of biodiversity must be halted globally by 2020. To sup-
port this goal, the period 2010–2020 has been declared the Decade on Biodiversity by
the UN General Assembly.
The national strategy adopted by the government states as the first strategic goal to:
"mainstream the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity within the public
administration and society."
The key aim that will help us achieve this goal is ensuring that Finnish people have
basic knowledge about biodiversity and that they are aware of its significance and
their own possibilities of influencing its conservation and sustainable use.
A uniform look has been created for the Finnish communication plan, which various
parties should adhere to when communicating about the conservation and sustaina-
ble use of biodiversity.
VISIBILITY OF BIODIVERSITY
By European standards, Finnish people are quite familiar with biodiversity as a con-
cept (Eurobarometer survey 2007 and 2010). At the same time, Finnish people are
the least concerned of all European citizens over biodiversity loss. We must alert the
citizens to the alarming situation, interest them in biodiversity as a larger entity and
encourage them to support decision-making that conserves biodiversity.
the fact that biodiversity is mentioned at all indicates that conserving it is a generally
accepted principle. The issue has been recognized and it ”exists”, and a potential for
action is also there.1
The following theses were formulated as a guide for effective and relevant communi-
cations about biodiversity. They can be applied to the planning of a wide range of
communications, regardless of what the topic is or who is sending out the message.
The idea of the theses is to communication the message in a way that can be heard
over the "noise" and that can inspire new actors to take an interest in working for the
environment. The theses will help to mainstream efforts for the environment.
You can make biodiversity "an every-day topic" by communicating through an indi-
vidual and using examples whenever you can. Biodiversity should be associated with
the basics of life that concern us all, including business and industries, health, food,
housing, pastimes and consumer choices. At the same time, practical steps that each
one of us can take for the environment should be highlighted. We need to communi-
cate to people the idea that they can personally do something important for the envi-
ronment.
Your tone should always be inspiring, hopeful and inciting to action. Through positive
examples, you can get across the message that change is not only necessary but also
possible.
1 Co-operative Torstai: A condition for life? An analysis of communications on biodiversity 29 Jan 2013
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"plain facts". For example, an expert openly sharing his or her concern over the state
of the environment can be extremely appealing.
The goals of the strategy cannot be achieved without broad-based cooperation. Har-
nessing new parties as communication partners may be helpful, as an unexpected
messenger may get people to pause and listen. Who could be "the last person" to talk
about the issue? Could he or she be the one to take the message forward, after all?
Biodiversity as a concept has not been widely adopted in public discussion. However,
the key goal here is not making a certain concept a catchword, but saving the envi-
ronment. As indicated by circumstances, you can also replace biodiversity with other,
better known concepts. The main point is that your message is comprehensible, it
gets heard and it results in change or a willingness to change. Some of the following
terms might work:
Images draw attention and they are easy to distribute electronically. Always use visu-
al material (photos, graphics, videos) when you can. Besides supporting verbal infor-
mation, pictures are increasingly being used in communications and the media with
nothing but a caption.
Photography has become a part of our every-day lives thanks to digital cameras, es-
pecially those on mobile phones, and social media has made images an elemental part
of telling the story that is here and now. The fact that Finnish people like taking lots of
nature photographs could be better exploited in communications about the environ-
ment.2
The communication team behind this plan is a subdivision of the working group pro-
moting the implementation and monitoring of the Finnish National Strategy and ac-
tion plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Its members are
mainly persons working in communications at the Ministry of the Environment, Min-
2Professor Merja Salo, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Yle 1, Julkinen sana 9 Jan
2013.
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istry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of De-
fence, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finnish
Environment Institute, Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services and Finnish Broad-
casting Company.
The communication team plans and implements communications that support the
implementation of the National strategy and action plan for the conservation and sus-
tainable use of biodiversity 2013–2020. The parties represented in the team ensure
that the goals of the National strategy and action plan for biodiversity are brought to
bear on as many of their organisations' communication policies and measures as pos-
sible.
The communication team strives to involve new parties in action for the environ-
ment, for example by:
CORE MESSAGES
For companies
Awareness of the prerequisites for conserving biodiversity and promoting its sustaina-
ble use, its conditions and its restrictions is a precondition for sustainable business and
part of risk and reputation management.
For decision-makers
Loss of biodiversity is a political and economic threat on par with climate change.
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There must be close interaction between the scientific community and decision-
makers. Decisions concerning biodiversity must be underpinned by research-
based information.
For citizens
Global
The poorest people in the world depend on biodiversity for their survival.