The Biodiversity COP

The Biodiversity COP

Sub : Env

Sec : Int Conventions

Context:

• Ahead of the annual climate change meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan (scheduled for November 11), countries are currently gathered in Cali, Colombia, for the UN Biodiversity Conference, held every two years.

Key points:

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD):
  • Originated from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, alongside the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • Aims to protect biodiversity, restore ecosystems, and ensure equitable distribution of biological resources.
• COP16 (Conference of Parties to CBD):
  • The 16th meeting and the first after the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
  • Framework set in 2022 (COP15) with four goals and 23 targets to be achieved by 2030.
  • Key target: 30 x 30 – conserving 30% of land and oceans and restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
• Biodiversity and Climate Change:
  • Both crises are linked, driven by unsustainable resource use and feeding into each other.
  • Climate change exacerbates biodiversity loss, while ecosystem changes contribute to global warming.
  • Increasing convergence of biodiversity and climate goals.
• Momentum for 30 x 30:
  • COP16 will push for progress on the 30 x 30 targets.
  • Countries must submit National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), similar to climate-related NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions).
  • Only 32 of 196 countries have submitted their NBSAPs so far, with more expected during COP16.
• High Seas Treaty:
  • Finalized last year to protect biodiversity in international waters.
  • Aims to establish protected areas in oceans and regulate human activities.
  • Ensures equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources found in international waters.
• Genetic Resources Sharing:
  • Discussion on sharing benefits from genetic information (e.g., plants and organisms).
  • Nagoya Protocol (2010) established basic principles for bioresource rights.
  • COP16 will address digital genetic sequences, their use, and equitable profit sharing, particularly for indigenous communities.
• Finance for Biodiversity:
  • One of the Kunming-Montreal Framework’s goals is to mobilize at least $200 billion per year for biodiversity conservation by 2030.
  • Developed countries are expected to contribute at least $20 billion annually to developing nations, increasing to $30 billion by 2030.
  • Discussions at COP16 will include new finance mechanisms, a possible biodiversity fund, and biodiversity credits similar to carbon credits.
• Elimination of Harmful Subsidies:
  • Focus on phasing out incentives harmful to biodiversity (e.g., over-fishing, deforestation, fossil fuel subsidies).
  • Aim to scale up these efforts to at least $500 billion by 2030.