From 11 to 15 October, governments will meet virtually for phase one of the long-awaited UN Biodiversity Conference, or COP15, which includes a high-level segment from 12 to 13 October. Phase 2 will be an in-person meeting in Kunming, China from 25 April to 8 May 2022.
The conference will see the adoption of the UN’s post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which should provide, according to the Convention on Biological Diversity, a “strategic vision and a global roadmap for conservation, protection, restoration and sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems” for the next decade.
Despite on-going efforts, biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide and this decline is projected to worsen with business-as- usual scenarios. The framework sets out an “ambitious plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in society’s relationship with biodiversity and to ensure that, by 2050, the shared vision of living in harmony with nature is fulfilled. ”
A New Global Biodiversity Framework for Managing Nature Through 2030
The framework comprises 21 targets and 10 milestones proposed for 2030, including a number of key targets such as:
- Ensuring the conservation of at least 30% globally of land and sea areas.
- Using ecosystem-based approaches to mitigate and adapt to climate change and avoiding any negative impacts on biodiversity.
- Redirecting, repurposing and reforming incentives that are harmful to biodiversity in a just and equitable way.
- Increasing financial resources from all sources to at least 200 billion US dollars per year and increasing the international financial flows to developing countries by at least 10 billion US dollars per year.
- Preventing or reducing the rate of introduction and establishment of invasive alien species by 50%.
The framework is built upon the recognition that its successful implementation will require input from organisations at all levels of society, as well as actors beyond governments, especially non-governmental organisations, indigenous peoples and local communities, women’s groups, youth as well as businesses.
Inextricable link between loss of nature, climate change and land degradation
In a statement published on Monday 11th of October, the IUCN urged decision-makers at COP15 to acknowledge the inextricable link between the loss of nature and the challenges of climate change and land degradation. Thereby, strongly reaffirming that the framework “must be fit for purpose, through the adoption of ambitious goals and targets to address the three crises together”.
In a statement published on Monday 11th of October, the IUCN urged decision-makers at COP15 to acknowledge the inextricable link between the loss of nature and the challenges of climate change and land degradation. Thereby, strongly reaffirming that the framework “must be fit for purpose, through the adoption of ambitious goals and targets to address the three crises together”.
In her opening statement on Monday, Elizabeth Maruma MREMA, Executive Secretary of the CBD, said “I encourage us all to work together to shape and deliver a bold, inclusive, and ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework…, that drives us forward to catalyse the changes needed to reach our 2030 targets and the longer-term Vision of Living in harmony with nature by 2050.”
Let’s hope that this new framework can bring all actors together to define clear targets for the protection of nature, in order to reverse the loss of biodiversity once and for all.