Photo by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
Biodiversity COP 16: Important Agreements Reached Towards making Peace with Nature
Delegates also took stock of progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) since its adoption at COP 15 in 2022. COP 16 acknowledged the progress made in the previous two years and highlighted the need to accelerate action. To date, 119 countries, representing the majority of the 196 Parties to the CBD, submitted national biodiversity targets reflecting alignment with the KMGBF. Additionally, 44 countries submitted National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs)--the policy documents that support the implementation of national targets.
The strong COP 16 results, built on a spirit of compromise and dialogue, demonstrate that multilateralism can still achieve results in a fractious time. After almost 12 hours of meeting in the Plenary session, COP 16 lost quorum at roughly 9am and was suspended before the remaining agenda items could be considered for adoption.
COP 16 will resume at a later date and venue to complete the agenda.
What COP 16 has delivered:
Having agreed at COP 15 to establish a multilateral mechanism, including a global fund, to share the benefits from uses of digital sequence information on genetic resources (DSI) more fairly and equitably, delegates at COP 16 advanced its operationalization – a historic decision of global importance.
This complex decision addresses how pharmaceutical, biotechnology, animal and plant breeding and other industries benefiting from DSI should share those benefits with developing countries and Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Under the agreed guidelines, large companies and other major entities benefiting commercially from DSI uses should contribute to “the Cali Fund,” based on a percentage of their profits or revenues. The model targets larger companies most reliant on DSI and exempts academic, public research institutions and other entities using DSI but not directly benefiting.
Developing world countries will benefit from a large part of this fund, with allocations to support implementation of the KMGBF, according to the priorities of those governments.
At least half of the funding is expected to support the self-identified needs of indigenous peoples and local communities, including women and youth within those communities, through government or by direct payments through institutions identified by indigenous peoples and local communities. Some funds may support capacity building and technology transfer.
Strong monitoring and reporting will ensure industries see the impact of their contributions in a transparent and open way, and regular reviews will build the mechanism’s efficiency and efficacy over time.
This agreement marks a precedent for benefit-sharing in biodiversity conservation with a fund designed to return some of the proceeds from the use of biodiversity to protect and restore nature where help is needed most.
In a landmark decision at COP 16, Parties adopted a new Programme of Work on Article 8(j) and other provisions of the Convention related to indigenous peoples and local communities. This transformative programme sets out specific tasks to ensure the meaningful contribution of indigenous peoples and local communities towards the three objectives of the Convention ((a) the conservation of biological diversity, b) the sustainable use of biological diversity, and c) the fair and equitable sharing of benefits), as well as the implementation of the KMGBF. Through this Programme, rights, contributions and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities are further embedded in the global agenda.
Parties also agreed to establish a new permanent subsidiary body on article 8j and other Provisions, with its modus operandi to be developed over the next two years. The new Subsidiary Body is expected to elevate issues related to the implementation of Article 8j and enhance the engagement and participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in all convention processes.
A further decision was taken to recognize the role of people of African descent, comprising collectives embodying traditional lifestyles, in implementing the Convention and in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Synthetic biology was a prominent topic at COP 16, with an eye toward its potential benefits while considering the risks. To address inequity in the participation of developing countries in the synthetic biology field, the decision introduces a new thematic action plan to help address the capacity-building, technology transfer and knowledge-sharing needs of Parties, and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. By helping countries assess and apply synthetic biology technologies, COP 16 aims to foster innovation while safeguarding biodiversity.
An expert group will guide identification of synthetic biology’s potential benefits and review the potential impacts of recent technological developments – a unique opportunity to explore synthetic biology in relation to the CBD’s three fundamental objectives and in implementing the KMGBF.
COP 16’s decision on invasive alien species addresses one of the top five direct drivers of biodiversity loss, highlighting the need for international cooperation, capacity-building, and technical support for developing countries. It proposes guidelines for managing invasive alien species, touching on issues such as e-commerce, multicriteria analysis methodologies and others.
New databases, improved cross-border trade regulations, and enhanced coordination with e-commerce platforms aim to address gaps in managing invasive species risks and align with the goals of KMGBF, where cross-sectoral and collaborative approaches are central to biodiversity protection.
COP 16 adopted a landmark decision on Biodiversity and Climate Change with an important reference to the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus. The text notably calls upon the Presidents of COP 16 of the CBD and COP 29 and COP 30 of the UNFCCC to strengthen multilateral coordination. The decision also requests the Executive Secretary of the CBD to invite Parties, observers and other stakeholders to submit (by May 2025) their views on options for enhanced policy coherence, including a potential joint work programme of the three Rio conventions, namely CBD, UNFCCC and UNCCD.
It is well established that biodiversity loss and climate change are correlated and mutually reinforcing. A thriving nature keeps carbon stored where it naturally belongs and not in our planet’s atmosphere. Biodiversity enhances adaptation capacity and resilience, including in disaster-risk reduction. Climate change, on the other hand, is one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss.
Learn more: https://www.cbd.int/article/cali-to-baku-2024
COP 16 adopted decisions to further guide action on capacity building and development, technical and scientific cooperation (TSC), knowledge management (KM) and the clearing-house mechanism (CHM) to support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
With respect to capacity building and development, COP 16 invited Parties, indigenous peoples and local communities, and relevant stakeholders to share information about their capacity needs and their ongoing and planned capacity-building and development activities and requested the Secretariat to make this information available through the central portal of the clearing-house mechanism (CHM). The Secretariat was also requested to implement joint capacity-building activities with the Secretariats of the Rio conventions and the biodiversity-related conventions.
COP 16 welcomed the 18 subregional technical and scientific cooperation support centres (TSCCs) that were selected to support Parties to effectively utilize science, technology, and innovation in the implementation of the KMGBF. It also adopted modalities for operationalizing the global coordination entity and mandated the CBD Secretariat to host it. The entity will coordinate and facilitate the work of the TSCCs, including through providing them with access to relevant information, tools, advice, technical support and additional resources for their work and will be accountable to the COP.
The Parties also decided that the review of progress in the implementation of the long-term strategic framework for capacity building and development and the technical and scientific cooperation mechanism will be conducted in conjunction with the process for the global review of collective progress in the implementation of the KMGBF.
The Parties also adopted a new programme of work for the CHM and a knowledge management strategy to support implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
COP 16 agreed on a new and evolved process to identify ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs). Under the CBD, work on EBSAs, which identifies the most critical and vulnerable parts of the ocean, began in 2010 and became a central area of onean-related work. Continued development of the programme was stymied for more than 8 years due to legal and political concerns.
COP 16 gave new life to this process, agreeing on new mechanisms to identify new EBSAs and update existing ones, ensuring that the cataloging of information of these areas can support planning and management with the most advanced science and knowledge available.
This comes at a time when EBSAs can play an important role for marine biodiversity protection, with major steps being taken to implement the 30x30 protected areas target and to prepare for the future implementation of the new agreement for marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.
Among the most crucial areas of discussion was the protection of wild species. A decision on sustainable wildlife management underscores the necessity of monitoring, capacity-building, and the inclusive participation of indigenous peoples, local communities, and women. To this end, the decision calls for the cooperation of international bodies like CITES and FAO to implement. The framework encourages research on how wildlife use, biodiversity loss, and zoonotic diseases are interconnected, a vital area for a world increasingly aware of the public health implications of biodiversity loss.
Additionally, COP 16 saw a commitment to align plant conservation efforts with the KMGBF monitoring framework. This includes updating the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation with specific indicators and a standardized reporting template, ensuring that progress in plant protection is measurable and consistent with global biodiversity targets.
At COP 16, CBD Parties approved a Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health designed to help curb the emergence of zoonotic diseases, prevent non-communicable diseases, and promote sustainable ecosystems. The strategy embraces a holistic “One Health” approach that recognizes the health of ecosystems, animals, and humans as interconnected.
Recognizing that biodiversity loss and poor health often share common drivers—such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change—the Plan emphasizes the urgency of tackling these threats to benefit both ecosystems and humans.
The strategy underlines the need for education and promoting understanding of the connections between biodiversity and health, and the need to strengthen policies that promote sustainable ecosystems, support traditional medicine, and reduce habitat destruction. Special attention is accorded to vulnerable populations, including Indigenous peoples, who depend on local biodiversity for food, medicine, and cultural identity, as well as youth, seen as vital contributors to conservation and health initiatives.
At the heart of the plan is a collaborative framework that brings together health professionals, conservationists, and policymakers. The COP decision invites nations to designate national focal points for biodiversity and health, and to develop policies reflecting these interconnections, integrating biodiversity-health considerations in policies across the range of sectors from agriculture to urban planning.
Parties further called for close cooperation with international organizations, including the World Health Organization, to develop monitoring tools and metrics for assessing the progress of biodiversity-health initiatives.
In Cali, Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety welcomed new, voluntary guidance on assessing the risks posed by living modified organisms (LMOs) containing engineered gene drives, a milestone in international biosafety management aiming to bolster the scientific rigor and transparency of risk assessment procedures in the Protocol.
Engineered gene drives have the capacity to propagate genetic modifications rapidly through wild populations and the move to strengthen protocols comes amid increased debate over genetic engineering, particularly for applications for pest control, disease control, and agriculture. The new guidance prioritizes scientific transparency and accuracy in risk assessments, an essential step toward unified safety standards for managing LMOs worldwide.
The new guidance materials bring together the best available scientific resources and guidance materials available for environmental risk assessment, while also emphasizing the precautionary approach.
The voluntary nature of these guidelines allows individual countries to tailor assessments to national contexts, considering ecological variables unique to their environments. This flexibility is crucial in regions with diverse ecosystems and will help regulators make informed decisions, taking into account both the benefits and risks of LMOs with gene drives.
Pending items that the resumed session of COP 16 will address:
-Biodiversity finance, including a strategy for resource mobilization
Parties will consider a new Strategy for Resource Mobilization to help secure $200 billion annually by 2030 from all sources to support biodiversity initiatives worldwide, in line with Target 19 of the KMGBF. Target 18 of the KMGBF also addresses the reduction of harmful incentives by at least $500 billion per year by 2030. Parties will also look at the possible creation of a new dedicated global financing instrument for biodiversity to receive, disburse, mobilize and articulate funding needs.
To date the Convention has been able to count on resources mobilized to support the goals and targets of the KMGBF through a variety of bilateral arrangements, private, and philanthropic sources, as well as dedicated funds such as:
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), agreed at COP 15 in 2022 and established in less than a year by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The fund accepts contributions from governments, the private sector, and philanthropies, and finances high-impact projects in developing regions, with emphasis on supporting countries with fragile ecosystems, such as small island states and economies in transition. To date, 11 donor countries as well as the Government of Quebec have pledged nearly US $400 million to the GBF Fund, with US $163 million pledged during COP 16.
The Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF), launched at COP 16 with a US $200 million contribution from the Government of China. The KBF supports accelerated action to deliver 2030 Agenda and SDG targets and 2050 goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly in developing countries.
-Monitoring framework of the KMGBF: the yardsticks the world will use to measure progress
Parties are expected to complete a crucial step by finalizing the monitoring framework agreed upon at COP 15. The monitoring framework is essential to the implementation of the KMGBF because it provides the common yardsticks that Parties will use to measure progress against the 23 targets.
-Mechanism for Planning, Monitoring, Reporting and Review (PMRR)
On PMRR, Parties are expected to make important decisions on how progress in the implementation of the KMGBF will be reviewed at COP17 as part of the planned global stocktake. They are expected to determine the way in which commitments from actors other than national governments can be included in the PMRR Mechanism – including commitments from youth, women, indigenous peoples and local communities, civil society, the private sector and sub-national governments. In addition, the national reporting template--– which includes the headline indicators of the monitoring framework--must also be finalized.
COP 16 in Cali—La COP de la gente— was exceptional
With billions of people depending on nature’s contributions, threats to biodiversity intensifying, and financial resources in short supply, the stakes at COP 16 were high.
In Cali Parties made important strides towards the achievement of the 23 action targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), adopted at COP 15 in Montreal.
H.E. Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development and COP 16 President, said:
“COP16 in Colombia will be remembered for being a historic COP, for being La COP de la gente. All the decisions taken in Cali benefit the protection of biodiversity and recognize the work of indigenous peoples and local communities, Afrodescendent communities and campesinos as guardians and protectors of biodiversity.”
In an op-ed, the COP 16 President wrote:
“The World Coalition for Peace with Nature is our great legacy to the world, an urgent call to nations and citizens to take action for the planet, a commitment that invites us to change our relationship with nature, reiterating that climate justice must be collective. In this purpose, we managed to collect the signatures of 130,000 citizens in less than a week, 40 organizations and 31 countries. This is a commitment that we will continue to build over the next two years, it is a movement that will be open and active during Colombia's mandate as president of COP16.”
Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said:
"We arrived in Cali with a heavy agenda of work, and thanks to the determination of countries and the energy from this ‘People’s COP’, we’ve made good progress. COP16 has delivered important commitments on the interconnections on nature and climate, biodiversity and health and Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs). The new agreement on Article 8J is a critical step forward and commits us to embed the knowledge and role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities across our work to deliver the Global Biodiversity Framework. Another big win is the new mechanism and fund for fair and equitable benefit-sharing from Digital Sequencing Information of genetic resources which will ensure that those who profit from biodiversity give back to nature, countries and communities.
Of course, we would have liked to achieve more on resource mobilization and advances on the monitoring framework, but we will not slow down the pace of work.
2030 is rapidly approaching and action cannot wait."
Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity, said:
“Over the last weeks, we have seen the largest, whole-of-society mobilization for biodiversity unfold in Cali, triggering interest from around the globe. We have seen Indigenous Peoples and local communities, civil society, businesses and financial institutions, sub-national governments, cities and local authorities, women and youth present remarkable initiatives and action.
And through it all, this COP delivered a seminal message: the time has come to make peace with nature.
“From Cali, this UN Biodiversity Conference sent a powerful call to action. It has never been clearer that the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement in a synergistic fashion will make peace with nature within reach."
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Cali’s message to Baku: biodiversity and climate action must be delivered in tandem