Nations Join Hands to Protect 30% of Earth’s Land and Water Areas by 2030

After a series of negotiations chaired by China and hosted by Canada, the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) on December 19, 2022, in Montreal. The landmark framework was finalized and approved by representatives of 188 governments on site, which is 95% of all 196 Parties to the UN CBD, together with two non-Parties, the United States and The Vatican.

Global targets for 2030

Some of the 23 global targets for 2030 are:

• Effective conservation and management of at least 30% of the world’s lands, inland waters, coastal areas, and oceans
• Completely or partially restore at least 30% of degraded terrestrial, inland waters, and coastal and marine ecosystems
• Decrease the loss of areas of high biodiversity importance to near zero
• Cut global food waste in half
• Reduce by half both excess nutrients and the overall risk posed by pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals
• Progressively phase out or reform subsidies that harm biodiversity by at least $500 billion per year, and increase positive incentives for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use
• Mobilize at least $200 billion per year in domestic and international biodiversity-related funding from all sources
• Raise international financial funds from developed to developing countries to at least US$20 billion per year by 2025 and at least US$30 billion per year by 2030
• Prevent the introduction of priority invasive alien species, and reduce by at least half the introduction of other known or potentially invasive alien species, and eradicate or control invasive alien species on islands and other priority sites
• Require large and transnational companies and financial institutions to monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their risks, dependencies, and impacts on biodiversity 

Overarching global goals

The framework’s overarching global goals are summarized as follows:

1. The integrity, connectivity, and resilience of all ecosystems are maintained, enhanced, or restored, substantially increasing the area of natural ecosystems by 2050.
2. Biodiversity is sustainably used and managed and nature’s contributions to people are valued, maintained, and enhanced, with those currently in decline being restored, supporting the achievement of sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations by 2050.
3. The monetary and non-monetary benefits from the utilization of genetic resources, digital sequence information on genetic resources, and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources are shared fairly and equitably and substantially increased by 2050, while ensuring traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources is appropriately protected.
4. Adequate means of implementation, including financial resources, capacity building, technical and scientific cooperation, and access to and transfer of technology to fully implement the Kunming-Montreal GBF, are secured and equitably accessible to all Parties, especially developing countries.

Aside from the GBF, the meeting also approved related agreements on its implementation, assistance to nations in building capacity to achieve the targets, and digital sequence information on genetic resources.

Representatives from ISAAA Inc. participated in the negotiations to ensure that the benefits of genetically engineered and gene-edited products are given due consideration. ISAAA Inc., Public Research and Regulation Initiative, Alliance for Science, and IGems formed the Biodiversity Innovation Coalition to have a uniform and strong voice during the meeting. The group was newly categorized under the Academia and Research which highlighted the importance of science and innovation in the negotiation.

 

 

 

 

 

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