The summit, chaired by China and hosted by Canada, was the culmination of three years of intense talks between governments under the auspices of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. It has been viewed as a last chance to accelerate global efforts to protect and restore the natural world.
19 December 2022 - A historic deal reached today at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal signals hope for the future of life on our planet.
It was announced by COP15’s president, Huang Runqiu, that the nearly 200 nations at the conference had formally adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The framework aims to “take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to put nature on a path to recovery for the benefit of people and planet by conserving and sustainably using biodiversity, and ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources, while providing the necessary means of implementation.”
The overarching ambitions of the framework are to improve the “integrity, connectivity and resilience of all ecosystems” and increase the overall size of these ecosystems by 2050 and to halt and reduce “human-induced extinction of known threatened species” by tenfold.
On returning from the conference, IAR CEO, Gavin Bruce, said: “With around one million species threatened with extinction, this could not be more urgent – the threat to the health, wellbeing and prosperity of humanity is real and serious. The Global Biodiversity Framework is a good start and there are some ambitious targets. Now it is the task of governments to turn those targets into action by developing their own national biodiversity plans. There can be no half measures if we are to halt and reverse the decline in global biodiversity which threatens to devastate the future of all life on the planet. It is a huge testimony to the hard work of all delegates at the conference, especially our colleagues from other NGOs that worked with us to prevent dilution of the text in the Framework, that we now have an agreement in place. There is everything to play for; the framework is a clear indication of the world’s determination to tackle the biodiversity crisis, no matter how large the challenges it faces.”
The agreement includes targets to conserve at least 30% of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine ecosystems, improve degraded systems, and bring the loss of areas of high importance for biodiversity to ‘close to zero’, by 2030. There is a focus on reducing the harmful effects of climate change, ocean acidification and pollution on biodiversity, including a target to reduce the risks from pesticides and harmful chemicals by half. Governments have agreed to value nature and its contributions to people across policies, regulations, planning and development processes, and to utilise biodiversity sustainably and within planetary boundaries.
Businesses are also to be encouraged to monitor, disclose and progressively reduce their impacts on nature, and to provide consumers with information enabling them to make nature-positive choices, as well as reducing overconsumption and waste.
The agreement aims to halt human-induced extinctions of wildlife species, reduce extinction risk by a factor of 10 by 2050, and conserve and recover species (particularly threatened species) by 2030 while maintaining their genetic diversity. The effective management of human-wildlife interactions to minimize conflict and promote coexistence between people and wildlife is a key target.
Governments have also committed to ensuring that by 2030 the use, harvesting and trade of wild species is sustainable, safe and legal. There is a focus on controlling and preventing the spread of invasive species, which are identified as a major cause of biodiversity loss, by at least 50%.
The framework seeks the fair and equitable sharing of monetary and non-monetary benefits from nature, with a strong focus on meeting the needs of developing countries. The development of nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches to issues affecting both people and wildlife features heavily. The positive benefits of nature for people’s physical and mental health are recognised and encouraged, and the framework promotes the adoption of the One Health approach which recognises the interconnectedness of the health of people, wildlife and the environment. Measures are to be introduced to reduce the risk of pathogen spillover from wildlife exploitation, a major risk factor for the emergence of pandemic diseases.
The framework also seeks to increase collaboration between all stakeholders, ensure gender equality, empower women, girls, youth and persons with disabilities, recognise the rights and customs of indigenous peoples and local communities, and protect those who defend environmental human rights.
Karmele Llano Sanchez, Programme Director of IAR Indonesia, who was present at the conference, commented: “We are delighted at the emphasis the framework puts on female empowerment and recognition of the rights and customs of indigenous peoples. These issues lie at the heart of our conservation work in West Kalimantan which is fuelled by the pride local communities take in their rainforest home and their determination to protect and conserve it.”