World lags on 2030 nature goals headed into UN COP16 talks

World lags on 2030 nature goals headed into UN COP16 talks

Sub: Env

Sec: Int Conventions

Context:

• In 2022, the world reached its most ambitious agreement to halt the destruction of nature by 2030. Two years later, many countries are falling behind on their commitments. As nearly 200 nations gather for the COP16 U.N. biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia, the pressure is on to reaffirm their support for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and address key concerns, particularly around funding.

Key Points:

• The destruction of nature through activities like logging and overfishing continues at an alarming rate.
• COP16 Summit:
  • This marks the 16th meeting of nations under the 1992 Convention on Biodiversity.
  • The focus is on getting countries back on track to meet 2030 targets, including the “30 by 30” goal of preserving 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030.
• Lagging Conservation Efforts:
  • Most countries have yet to submit their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), though this was a key commitment before COP16.
  • Only 31 out of 195 countries had submitted plans. Wealthier nations, like European countries, Australia, Japan, and Canada, have been quicker to act.
  • The U.S. attends but is not obligated to submit a plan, as it never ratified the Convention.
  • Developing countries face difficulties due to a lack of funding and expertise needed to draft their plans.
• Funding for Conservation:
  • A key priority for COP16 is finding new financial resources to help poorer countries meet biodiversity goals.
  • During COP15 in 2022, countries set a target of $20 billion annually by 2025 for biodiversity funding in developing nations.
  • However, current funding only reached $15.4 billion by 2022, and while the 2025 target is achievable, experts believe it could have been set higher.
• Global Biodiversity Framework Fund:
  • A new fund was created after COP15 to support conservation efforts, but only $238 million has been raised so far, far below expectations.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD):

• CBD, also known as the Biodiversity Convention, is a multilateral treaty with three main objectives:

1. Conservation of biological diversity
2. Sustainable use of biodiversity components
3. Fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources

• Opened for signature: June 5, 1992 (Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro)
• Entered into force: December 29, 1993
• The United States is the only UN member state not to ratify the convention.

Supplementary Agreements

1. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

• Purpose: Governs movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) between countries
• Adopted: January 29, 2000
• Entered into force: September 11, 2003

2. Nagoya Protocol

• Full name: Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS)
• Purpose: Provides legal framework for fair sharing of genetic resource benefits
• Adopted: October 29, 2010 (Nagoya, Japan)
• Entered into force: October 12, 2014

Strategic Initiatives

Biodiversity Decade and Strategic Plan

• 2010: International Year of Biodiversity
• 2011-2020: UN Decade on Biodiversity
• Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 (includes Aichi Biodiversity Targets)

Conferences of the Parties (COP)

• COP 1: 1994, Nassau, Bahamas
• COP 15: 2021/2022, Kunming, China and Montreal, Canada
• COP 16: Cali, Colombia

Current Focus Areas:

Marine and Coastal Biodiversity

• Identification of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs)
• Development of an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) for:
  • Conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity
  • Area-based planning and decision-making under UNCLOS
  • Focus on areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ treaty/High Seas Treaty)

Source: TH