What’s in Today’s Article?
- Introduction (Background, Context)
- The Kunming-Montreal Framework (Objectives, Status)
- High Seas Treaty & Ocean Conservation
- Nagoya Protocol (Objective, Financial Mechanism for Biodiversity Conservation)
Introduction
As the world confronts the intertwined challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, global forums like the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16), scheduled to be held in Cali, Colombia, are becoming increasingly significant. COP16 falls under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which was established at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to promote the protection of global biodiversity, the restoration of ecosystems, and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from biological resources.
This year’s conference follows the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022), which set ambitious targets for conserving and restoring biodiversity by 2030. With environmental degradation becoming more pronounced across the globe, the importance of these conferences in addressing the biodiversity crisis has only grown.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
The Kunming-Montreal Framework was finalized at COP15 in 2022 and serves as a blueprint for global biodiversity conservation efforts through 2030. The framework outlines four major goals and 23 specific targets. One of the most notable is the 30 x 30 target, which aims to:
- Conserve 30% of the world’s lands and oceans by 2030, with an emphasis on areas rich in biodiversity.
- Restore 30% of degraded ecosystems—whether on land or in the ocean—by 2030.
This framework is considered a critical step in reversing the trend of biodiversity loss and restoring natural ecosystems. However, progress has been slow, and one of the primary goals of COP16 is to accelerate the efforts needed to meet these targets.
Countries are expected to submit their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), which are similar to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Climate Agreement. So far, only 32 countries have submitted their NBSAPs, and more submissions are expected at COP16.
Interconnection Between Climate Change and Biodiversity
The crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are intricately connected:
- Climate change accelerates biodiversity loss as rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns disrupt and degrade ecosystems.
- In turn, changes in ecosystems—such as deforestation and ocean warming—intensify global warming, further worsening the climate crisis.
For many years, these two issues were addressed separately in international discussions, but there is now a growing recognition of their interdependence. This is why, while COP16 focuses on biodiversity, efforts to address climate change are also being pursued in parallel.
High Seas Treaty and Ocean Conservation
Another important development in the global effort to protect biodiversity is the finalization of the High Seas Treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ) treaty. This treaty aims to protect marine biodiversity in areas of the ocean that lie outside the control of any one nation.
Key aspects of the treaty include:
- The creation of protected areas in biodiversity-rich parts of the ocean, where human activities can be regulated, similar to how national parks protect land ecosystems.
- The equitable sharing of benefits from the exploitation of genetic resources found in the ocean, including those with commercial applications in medicine, biotechnology, and agriculture.
Marine organisms, from microbes to large species, have vast potential for commercial use. The High Seas Treaty ensures that the benefits derived from these resources are shared among all nations, not just a few.
Access and Benefit Sharing: The Nagoya Protocol
The Nagoya Protocol, which was finalized during COP10 in 2010, established a framework for Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS). This mechanism ensures that when biological resources are used commercially, the benefits are fairly distributed, particularly to the countries and communities that own or manage these resources.
At COP16, discussions will revolve around the sharing of benefits from digital genetic information of plants and organisms. Scientific advancements now allow for the storage and sharing of genetic sequences in digital form, and these sequences have great value in the development of high-yield crops, medicines, and even beauty products.
The debate will focus on how these digital sequences can be accessed and how the profits should be shared, particularly with indigenous communities that may have originally owned these biological resources.
Financial Mechanisms for Biodiversity Conservation
As in climate change discussions, financing is a critical issue in biodiversity negotiations. One of the targets set in the Kunming-Montreal Framework is to mobilize $200 billion annually for biodiversity conservation by 2030. This funding is expected to come from various sources, including $20 billion annually from developed countries to support biodiversity efforts in developing nations. This amount is set to increase to $30 billion per year by 2030.
Another focus of COP16 will be on eliminating or repurposing harmful subsidies that negatively impact biodiversity. This includes subsidies for activities like fossil fuel production, deforestation, and overfishing. The goal is to redirect these subsidies toward sustainable practices and scale up efforts to $500 billion by 2030.
Conclusion
As the world confronts the interconnected challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, international conferences like COP16 are critical platforms for fostering global cooperation and action. The goals of the 30 x 30 target, the High Seas Treaty, and the mobilization of significant financial resources are central to the fight against biodiversity loss.
As the crisis accelerates, there is an increasing recognition that both developed and developing nations must work together to achieve these ambitious targets. COP16 will play a pivotal role in ensuring that progress is made toward protecting the planet’s biodiversity for future generations.
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