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Conference of the Parties (COP16)
Context:
The 16th meeting of the COP16 to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity recently concluded in Cali, Colombia.
More on News:
- The meeting concluded with a mix of progress and unresolved challenges in the global fight against biodiversity loss.
- The summit aimed to negotiate measures to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, a target known as the “30×30” goal, which calls for protecting 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030.
Key Highlights:
- Inclusive Decision-Making: COP16 established a permanent body comprising Indigenous peoples and local communities, ensuring their inclusion in decisions regarding biodiversity conservation.
- This move recognises the importance of traditional knowledge and aims to strengthen the representation of marginalised groups in policymaking.
- Recognition of African Descent Communities: For the first time, negotiators recognised the role of people of African descent in biodiversity conservation, integrating their traditional knowledge and practices into global efforts.
- Biodiversity Funding – The “Cali Fund”: Requires major corporations, especially in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, to contribute 0.1% of their revenue or 1% of profits from products using genetic resources to support biodiversity conservation.
- Half of this funding will go to Indigenous communities, aimed at supporting their conservation efforts and compensating them for their role in preserving biodiversity. This could potentially generate over $1 billion per year.
- Biodiversity Defense and Invasive Species: COP16 proposed guidelines to tackle invasive alien species, a significant driver of biodiversity loss, focusing on cross-border trade regulations and cooperation with e-commerce platforms to manage the spread of invasive species.
- Marine Conservation – Blue Economy: An updated process to identify Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) was agreed upon, helping to protect vulnerable ocean regions and improve marine biodiversity conservation.
- One Health Approach: A new Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health introduced the ‘One Health’ approach, recognising the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health.
- It aims to address biodiversity loss and prevent diseases, particularly zoonotic diseases.
- Synthetic Biology Discussion: COP16 also engaged in discussions on synthetic biology, exploring its potential for environmental applications (e.g., bioengineered species for ecosystem restoration) while also acknowledging the risks and ecological impacts associated with these innovations.
Challenges:
- Financial Commitments Shortfall:
- Target for $700 billion per year for biodiversity conservation by 2030 (with $30 billion from developed to developing countries) was not met. Pledges were only $163 million, revealing a significant gap in financial support.
- Governance Disputes: Disagreements between developed and developing nations stalled negotiations on the creation of a global nature fund, with wealthy nations opposing the proposed fund structure.
- Monitoring and Implementation Issues: The monitoring and reporting framework for the GBF remains weak.
- Only 44 out of 196 countries have submitted an updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP), and many nations have not yet established a mandatory enforcement mechanism to track progress, which weakens the goal’s implementation.
India’s Role and Path Forward
- India’s Updated NBSAP: India presented its updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, aligning it with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), aiming to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieve harmonious coexistence with nature by 2050.
- The plan recognises the challenge of balancing economic growth with biodiversity conservation, outlining 23 national biodiversity targets.
- It emphasises inter-agency cooperation, financial solutions, and community involvement in ecosystem restoration, wetland protection, and sustainable marine management.
Way Forward:
- Inclusive Decision-Making: While the creation of a permanent body for Indigenous and local communities marks progress, the real challenge lies in securing financial commitments and implementing robust monitoring mechanisms to ensure the 2030 biodiversity targets are met.
- Financial Commitment: The shortfall in financial pledges raises concerns about how to meet the $700 billion per year target for biodiversity conservation. Further negotiations are necessary to resolve the impasse.
- Monitoring and Transparency: There is a need for better tracking of commitments and outcomes and stronger enforcement mechanisms.
- Global Cooperation: COP16 demonstrated that addressing biodiversity loss requires a global effort with cross-border cooperation.
The next COP, COP17 in Armenia (2025), could be pivotal in advancing these initiatives and aligning efforts to combat the intertwined crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
