From 14 to 29 March, the EU will take part in the resumed global biodiversity meetings to advance the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework – a new global agreement to tackle and to reverse the loss of the planet's plants, animals and ecosystems. The talks in Geneva are the last official session for governments to negotiate the one global deal in a decade before it arrives in Kunming, China, which will be adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP15 later in the year. year. The Framework will guide global action for nature and people, which is vital to tackling climate change and building a fairer, safer and healthier world for everyone, everywhere.
Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius , said : "In these difficult times, multilateralism is more critical than ever, for the people and nature whose we depend. The evidence is clear: we need a future in harmony with nature, for ourselves, for future generations, for our climate and for sustainable development – and we need a common roadmap to get there. reach. At COP15, the international community will seek to agree on an ambitious global biodiversity framework with rigorous monitoring to measure progress on the ground in reversing nature loss. But we are not there yet and we must considerably reduce the gaps between the positions of the Parties. The EU goes to the Geneva negotiations pushing for ambition and setting an example. »
The EU has shown leadership in working with like-minded countries to reach an ambitious agreement, with measurable targets to tackle the direct and indirect drivers of losses, much stricter provisions on follow-up and review and clarity on the means of implementation.
The EU will negotiate at least the following elements of the framework:
- Ambitious, measurable and time-bound goals, milestones and targets that will seek to restore, make resilient and adequately protect all of the world's ecosystems by 2050;
- Goals to address direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss and ensure sustainable use of natural resources, including the 30x30 target to protect at least 30% of the world's land and oceans from by 2030, complemented by targets that address the direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss;
- operational arrangements for mobilizing funding and other means of implementation; in this context, in September, President von der Leyen announced that the EU would double its international biodiversity funding, in particular for the most vulnerable countries;
- Much stronger implementation, follow-up and review processes, including transparency of planned implementation, reporting, global gap analysis and stocktaking with scaling up efforts where needed ;
- Effective implementation of the objective of the 3rd Convention on Biodiversity concerning access and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources related to biodiversity, which guarantees, together with science, research and innovation can continue to bring all the benefits that also support the implementation of the other goals, and
- Ensure respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and stakeholders.
The EU will build on the successful outcome of the UN Environment Assembly held last week in Nairobi, including the agreed definitionof nature-based solutions, which are essential for nature, people and the climate.
Background
The World IPBES Biodiversity Assessment Report and the recently published contribution to the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change point out that the world has a brief and rapidly closing window to ensure a livable future. It calls for urgent actions for the restoration of degraded ecosystems, over the next decade, to mitigate the impacts of climate change, including by restoring degraded wetlands and rivers, forests and agricultural ecosystems.
The United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15) takes place in two parts. The first part of took place in Kunming and virtually from October 11 to 15, 2021 with a high profile segment. Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity have reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the 2050 Vision of “Living in Harmony with Nature” by adopting the Kunming Declaration . This policy must now be translated into concrete political support for an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework and its subsequent full implementation.
The second part of COP15 will take place in person in Kunming, China, later in 2022. At that time, Parties will meet to conclude negotiations and decide on a new Global Biodiversity Framework for the post-2020.
As part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission last year adopted its EU Biodiversity Strategy, which aims to put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030. As part of this strategy, the Commission is due to present a pioneering law on nature restoration later this month.
Posted on 2022-03-15 09:42
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