From the 11th to the 15th October 2021, the first stage of the COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity will take place, during which the representatives of the States Parties of the Convention will draw up a new “Kunming Declaration”. As the issue of biodiversity is becoming increasingly important on political agendas, this event, which has been postponed several times due to COVID, is eagerly awaited by the international community. The second stage of COP15 will take place in the spring 2022 and will be the occasion for the States Parties to negotiate a new framework for the protection of nature for the coming decade.
What is the Convention on Biological Diversity ?
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was launched at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, at the same time as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This international legal agreement aims to act on all levels of biological diversity, focusing on ecosystems, species and genetic resources. It has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of biological diversity and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of biological resources.
In 2010, the Parties to the CBD adopted a strategic plan (2011-2020) for biodiversity aimed at safeguarding and protecting biodiversity and the stakeholders and ecosystems that surrounds it (decision-makers, fishermen, farmers, indigenous peoples, people dependent on natural water resources etc.). 20 targets (Aichi Targets) as well as a financial strategy protocol (Nagoya Protocol) for International Public Assistance (IPA) dedicated to biodiversity have been set in the framework of this strategic plan.
What place for the ocean in the Aichi Biodiversity Targets?
Terrestrial and marine biodiversity provide a number of ecosystem services that are essential to sustain life on earth. In particular, the ocean provides many functions that are essential for climate regulation and the well-being of human societies. Several of the Aichi objectives are therefore concerned with the protection of the ocean and its ecosystems, in particular the sustainable management of fisheries, the fight against overfishing and its effects on species and ecosystems, as well as the preservation of marine and coastal ecosystems heavily impacted by anthropogenic pressures, such as coral reefs.
The draft report on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, published in July 2021, tells us that “despite some progress, none of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets have been fully met, putting at risk the achievement of the 2050 Biodiversity Vision and other international targets”.
What is at stake for this COP15?
While the Aichi targets have not been met, the first draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework has developed a draft proposal taking into account the recent findings and recommendations of the dedicated working group. Several proposals on ocean protection appear in the draft, including, that by 2030 we must, “ensure that at least 30% of areas of particular importance for biodiversity and its contributions to people, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed system”
This proposal is supported by the 70 countries of the High ambition coalition for nature, co-chaired by Costa Rica, France and the UK. The protection and restoration of marine ecosystems are also part of the proposals: ensuring that 20% of marine ecosystems show evidence of restoration by 2030 and a reduction of at least 50% of anthropogenic pollution by 2030.
The issues of financing biodiversity and sustainable finance will also be at the heart of the discussions, as they constitute a major obstacle to the implementation of biodiversity conservation objectives. These stakes have an upstream impact, as shown by the 75 investors from 17 different countries that have signed the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge, a call to governments to raise their ambitions and reverse the current decline in biodiversity.
Finally, the consolidation of the links between biodiversity and climate should also receive special attention, as was the case at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The IPCC and IPBES experts recalled in their joint report published last June that “none of these issues (climate-biodiversity) will be successfully resolved if they are not addressed together”. This is a strong message that must also be kept in mind for the COP26 in Glasgow, which will be held from the 1st to 12th of November.
Mariana Roudaut, Anaïs Deprez