The Biodiversity Commitment
Context- Signatories to Convention on Biological diversity(CBD) a 1993 agreement, meet every two years (not annually) to work on a global plan to halt biodiversity loss and restore natural ecosystems. The Montreal meeting was the 15th edition of this conference, hence the name COP15.
Countries have resolved to take steps towards arresting the Great Extinction — the existential threat that a million or more species face if urgent action is not taken. The problem is that these targets are not new — and they have proven extremely hard to meet.
The Montreal conference has delivered a new agreement called the Global Biodiversity Framework(GBF), which contains 4 goals and 23 targets to be achieved by 2030.
(Credits- The Hindu)
What are the key areas agreed on after two weeks of negotiations hosted in Montreal, Canada.?
- Conservation, protection and restoration
Delegates committed to protecting 30% of land and 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030, fulfilling the deal’s highest-profile goal, known as 30-by-30. The deal also aspires to restore 30% of degraded lands and waters throughout the decade, up from an earlier aim of 20%.
- Money for nature
Signatories aim to ensure $200 billion per year is channeled to conservation initiatives, from public and private sources. Wealthier countries should contribute at least $20 billion of this every year by 2025, and at least $30 billion a year by 2030.
- Big companies report impacts on biodiversity
Companies should analyse and report how their operations affect and are affected by biodiversity issues. The parties agreed to large companies and financial institutions being subject to “requirements” to make disclosures regarding their operations, supply chains and portfolios.
- Harmful subsidies
Countries committed to identify subsidies that deplete biodiversity by 2025, and then eliminate, phase out or reform them. They agreed to slash those incentives by at least $500 billion a year by 2030, and increase incentives that are positive for conservation.
- Pollution and pesticides
One of the deal’s more controversial targets sought to reduce the use of pesticides by up to two-thirds. But the final language to emerge focuses on the risks associated with pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals instead, pledging to reduce those threats by “at least half”, and instead focusing on other forms of pest management.
- Monitoring and reporting progress
All the agreed aims will be supported by processes to monitor progress in the future, in a bid to prevent this agreement meeting the same fate as similar targets that were agreed in Aichi, Japan, in 2010, and never met.
What is Global Biodiversity Framework?
The new frameworks have four goals to achieve by 2050.
- To halt the extinction and decline of biodiversity.
- To enhance and retain nature’s services to humans by conserving.
- To ensure fair and equitable benefits to all from use of genetic resources.
- To close the gap between available financial and other means of implementation and those necessary to achieve the 2050 Vision
What is the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)?
- Opened for signature in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, and entering into force in December 1993
- The CBD is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources.
- With 196 Parties, the CBD has near universal participation among countries.
- The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety(2003) and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing(2014) are supplementary agreements to the CBD.
- The Cartagena Protocol, which entered into force 11 September 2003, seeks to protect biodiversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.
- The Nagoya Protocol deals with commercial utilization of biological and genetic resources.
Way Forward– Biodiversity Conservation requires international collaboration and cooperation. However, it must also be based on ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities’ (CBDR).
Syllabus– Mains; GS-3; Biodiversity
