CoP 16 OF UN CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY (CBD)

CoP 16 OF UN CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY (CBD)

• The 16th Conference of Parties (COP-16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) took place in Cali, Colombia from October 21 to November 1, 2024.
• During this conference, India launched an updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
• COP16 Theme: Peace with Nature

HOW SUCCESSFUL WAS CoP 16 OF UNCBD?

The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) ended in confusion and indecision on Saturday after almost 12 hours of negotiations.

The summit aimed to address critical issues about biodiversity conservation and protecting nature. While some important agreements were made, key issues remained unsolved, meaning countries will have to continue talks at a meeting in Bangkok in 2024.

ORIGIN & PREVIOUS CoPs OF UN CBD

• Origin: The Convention was opened for signature in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Earth Summit).
  • The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force on 29 December 1993.
• Secretariat: Montreal, Canada.
• Ratification: The CBD has been ratified by 196 nations, making it one of the most widely adopted international treaties.
  • The United States is the only UN member state that has not ratified the convention.

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 1993

• Legally binding treaty to conserve biodiversity
• CBD Conference of Parties is the governing body of the Convention

MEETINGS OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

• COP 1 (1994): Nassau, Bahamas
  • Proposed 29 December as International Day for Biological Diversity
• EX COP 1: First Extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties
  • At Cartagena, Colombia (Feb 1999) & Montreal, Canada (Jan 2000)
  • Adoption of Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• COP 5 (2000): Nairobi, Kenya
  • UNGA adopted 22 May as International Day for Biological Diversity
• COP 6 (2002): The Hague, Netherlands
  • Global Taxonomy Initiative, Global Strategy for Plant Conservation adopted
• COP 8 (2006): Curitiba, Brazil
  • Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) Report 2 (GBO 1 in 2001)
• COP 10 (2010): Nagoya, Japan
  • Nagoya Protocol (Access to Genetic Resources and Fair & Equitable Sharing of Benefits) adopted
  • Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-20 and Aichi Biodiversity Targets
• COP 11 (2012): Hyderabad, India
  • GBO 3
• COP 14: Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

COP 15 :

PHASE-I

• Theme: Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth
• Held in Kunming, China (October 2021)
• Kunming Biodiversity Fund

PHASE-II

• Held in Montreal, Canada
• Adopted Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
  • 4 goals & 23 targets to be achieved by 2030.
  • 30 by 30 Target – restore 30% degraded ecosystems and protect at least 30% of the world’s lands, oceans and coastal areas by 2030
• No single country met all 20 Aichi targets (expired in 2020) within its own borders

THE 23 TARGETS

KEY OUTCOMES

• Global Tax on Genetic Data from Nature: Cali Fund
  • Genetic data from nature (called Digital Sequence Information, or DSI) is increasingly used in products like medicines but has often been accessed without payment. A major agreement at COP16 was the decision to introduce a global tax on companies that profit from using this data.
  • Criteria for Companies: Companies will need to meet two out of three criteria:
    • Sales of over $50 million.
    • Profits of over $5 million.
    • $20 million in total assets.
  • Contribution to DSI Fund: Companies meeting these criteria will have to contribute 1% of their profits or 1% of their revenue to the DSI fund.
  • Potential Fund Size: The fund could raise more than £1 billion (about $1.25 billion) each year for nature conservation.
  • Benefit to Indigenous Communities: At least 50% of the fund will go to Indigenous communities involved in conservation work, ensuring that poorer countries benefit from the use of their natural resources.
• Indigenous and Local Communities’ Permanent Role in Decision-Making:
  • A significant achievement at COP16 was the decision to give Indigenous peoples and local communities a permanent role in the UN biodiversity process. This means they will no longer need to rely on governments to represent their interests in environmental talks.
  • For over 20 years, Indigenous groups had only an informal role, but now they will be able to participate in discussions directly. This is the first time any UN environmental body has taken such a step.
  • Inclusion of Afro-descendant People: The decision also includes Afro-descendant communities—people of African descent living in the Americas—giving them formal recognition in biodiversity decision-making.
• Failure to Raise $200 Billion Annually for Biodiversity Protection:
  • One of the main goals of COP16 was to agree on a plan to raise $200 billion every year by 2030 to protect nature. This target was set in 2022 but no clear plan was made to achieve it.
  • $20 Billion Pledge for Poorer Countries: Richer countries had promised to give $20 billion each year to help poorer countries protect biodiversity, but this goal was not met, leaving developing nations frustrated.
  • Frustration from Developing Countries: Representatives from countries like Sierra Leone expressed anger, saying that governments can easily raise money for crises like pandemics and wars, but are not willing to provide similar funding to protect the planet’s nature.
• No Progress on New Finance Mechanism:
  • Poorer countries, especially those in Africa and Brazil, called for a new way to distribute biodiversity funds. The current system, managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is seen as difficult to access and controlled by richer nations. This issue was not resolved at COP16.
  • Countries from the Global South argued that a fairer and more transparent system was needed to ensure that all nations have access to the financial resources they need.
• No Agreement on How to Monitor Progress:
  • One of the most critical issues that remained unresolved at COP16 was how to monitor progress on the 23 biodiversity targets set at COP15 in Montreal (2022). Despite having a draft monitoring framework agreed upon by most countries, COP16 ran out of time to formalize it.
  • Without a clear system for tracking progress, the risk is that these targets, which aim to halt biodiversity loss, will remain unmonitored and therefore unachievable.
• National Biodiversity Targets
  • Submissions: Out of the CBD’s 196 Parties, 119 countries submitted national biodiversity targets to help achieve the 23 targets outlined in the KMGBF.
  • NBSAPs: As of now, 44 countries have submitted National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans to support these targets.
  • New Thematic Action Plan: Introduced to address inequities through capacity-building, technology transfer, and knowledge-sharing among developing countries.
• Synthetic Biology
  • Definition: Synthetic biology involves using engineering principles to create new organisms or modify existing ones through techniques such as DNA sequencing and genome editing.
• Invasive Alien Species
  • Guidelines: Proposed guidelines for managing invasive alien species, which include creating new databases, enhancing cross-border trade regulations, and improving coordination with e-commerce platforms.
• Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health
  • Approval: A Global Action Plan was approved to address the emergence of zoonotic diseases, prevent non-communicable diseases, and promote sustainable ecosystems.
  • One Health Approach: Embraces a holistic approach recognizing the interconnected health of ecosystems, animals, and humans.

INDIA’S CONTRIBUTIONS

India has been actively involved in the CBD processes, with a delegation led by Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh.

Key highlights from India’s participation include:

• Updated Biodiversity Plan:
  • India plans to spend approximately ₹81,664 crore (around $10 billion) on biodiversity and conservation initiatives from 2025 to 2030.
  • From 2018 to 2022, the country invested ₹32,207 crore (about $4 billion) in biodiversity efforts.
• Funding Requirements:
  • To meet future financial requirements for biodiversity initiatives, India emphasized the need for funding beyond regular government allocations.
  • Indian officials stressed that international financial support would be essential to achieve the targets outlined in the KMGBF.
  • Target 19 of the KMGBF calls for mobilizing $200 billion per year for biodiversity, including $30 billion through international financing.
• Significant Conservation Initiatives:
  • India highlighted its establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance, which aims to protect seven major big cat species, reflecting a commitment to global wildlife conservation.
  • The number of Ramsar sites in India has increased from 26 to 85 since 2014, with projections to reach 100 soon.
  • These sites are wetlands recognized for their ecological significance.

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