COP16 Outcomes: Key Achievements and Future Directions for Global Biodiversity

Context:

• The COP16 biodiversity summit came to an abrupt halt after countries failed to reach a consensus on the creation of a new fund during a mammoth 10-hour final plenary session.
• COP 16 of CBD was held at Cali, Colombia and have been concluded now.

Know About CBD:

• CBD is a legally binding multilateral treaty.
• Adopted at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, 1992.
• Came into force in 1993.
• Ratified by 196 nations.
• Secretariat at Montreal, Canada.
• India became a party to the convention in February 1994.

Note: The USA has signed but not ratified the convention.

Objectives Of CBD:

Protocols Under Convention:

There are two protocols under the Convention (CBD):

(a) The Cartagena Protocol (Signed in 2000 and effective from 2003) on Biosafety seeks to protect biodiversity from genetically modified organisms by ensuring their safe handling, transport and use;

• The Nagoya—Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol (2010) is a treaty intended to supplement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety by providing international rules and procedures on liability and redress for damage to biodiversity resulting from living modified organisms (LMOs).

(b) The Nagoya Protocol (signed in 2010, effective from 2014) on Access and Benefit Sharing deals with the commercial utilization of biological and genetic resources.

• Also know about Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2011-20).

Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (also called the Paris agreement for nature):

Context:

• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is a landmark agreement that was adopted in December 2022 at the 15^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

• The GBF is a blueprint for restoring and conserving biodiversity, and for sharing the benefits of genetic resources.

Outcomes of COP 15:

Subsidies: The COP15 agreed on reducing harmful subsidies, such as subsidies for fossil fuel production, agriculture, forestry and fisheries etc by at least US$ 500 billion per year.

Pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals: The COP15 has reached a consensus on reducing the overall risk from pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals by at least half by 2030.

30×30 Target: The Conference agreed to a commitment to protect at least 30% of the world’s lands, oceans, and coastal areas by 2030.

• A related commitment is to ensure that restoration activities would be started on at least 30% of degraded land or marine ecosystems by 2030.

Financial Package: The GBF hopes to see at least US$ 200 billion raised per year from all sources (domestic, international, public and private), towards implementation of the national action plans.

• In terms of international funding, developing countries should get at least US$ 20 billion a year by 2025 and
• At least US$ 30 billion by 2030 through contributions from developed countries.

Reducing Food Wastage: A commitment has been made to reduce global food wastage by half.

Reduction in Extinction: Another goal is to ensure a ten-fold reduction in extinction rate of species.

(e) Reducing the Introduction of invasive alien species by 50% and minimizing their impact by 2030.

Agenda of COP 16:

(a) To agree on mechanisms to implement the targets under Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

(b) Also discuss ways to organize funding.

(c) Setting up a mechanism for benefit-sharing from the use of digital sequence information on genetic sources and traditional knowledge.

Outcomes of COP 16:

Establishment of Cali fund: countries did manage to find consensus on a new benefit-sharing mechanism for genetic resources.

• The decision on the ‘Cali Fund’ states that companies using digital sequence information (DSI) from genetic biodiversity resources in their products should pay a portion of their profits or revenues into the fund.
• While the disbursement details are still being finalized, it has been agreed that 50% of the fund will be allocated to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, either directly or through governments.
• This will enable these communities, including women and youth to finally share in the profits.

Establishment of a new permanent body for indigenous people.

• This will allow them to advise and offer their view at biodiversity COPs directly for the first time.

National Biodiversity Strategies and action plans:

• As part of the GBF and its underlying documents, countries agreed to submit new national biodiversity pledges, known as national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) “by” COP16.
• The new NBSAPs were meant to outline how countries will implement the goals and targets of the GBF within their borders.
• By the summit’s end on 2 November, 44 out of 196 parties had produced new NBSAPs.

Important Misses:

No New fund for CBD: However, the thorny issue of setting up a new fund under the COP – and the final agenda item on a new framework for monitoring countries’ progress on tackling biodiversity loss – will need to be revisited at intersessional meetings next year.

Lack of progress on implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the landmark “Paris Agreement for nature” deal made at COP15 in Montreal in 2022.

Digital Sequence Information:

Meaning:

• DSI is a term used at international talks to refer to genetic information from plants and animals.
• This genetic information is often sourced from plants and animals in developing, biodiversity-rich countries by companies headquartered mainly in the global north, who use it to make products, such as drugs, cosmetics and food.

Issue:

• Developing nations have long called for the establishment of an international mechanism that can ensure that the benefits from DSI are shared fairly with the people living where the resources were discovered, including Indigenous groups.

Resolution:

• At COP16, countries agreed to the first-ever global fund to which companies using genetic data “should contribute”, along with a unique multilateral mechanism to support it.
• Pharmaceutical, cosmetics, agribusiness, nutraceutical and technology conglomerates that benefit from genetic data “should” contribute 1% of their profits, or 0.1% of their revenue, to the landmark “Cali fund” under the agreement.

Criticism:

• However, DSI experts told Carbon Brief that the use of the word “should” implies that contributing to the fund is still voluntary.
• And that the payment rates are “indicative”, non-binding ones.
• In the run-up to COP16, blocs including African and Latin American countries sought a legally binding mechanism on DSI.

India’s Contribution to COP-16:

• India presented an ‘updated’ biodiversity plan where it stated that it expects to spend around ₹81,664 crore from 2025-30 (FY) on biodiversity and conservation.
• From 2018-22 (FY), India spent ₹32,207 crore on biodiversity and conservation.
• India demanded that to meet the higher financing requirements, it would require funds from sources beyond routine government expenditure.
• India has cited the “significant step in global wildlife conservation” it has taken by establishing the International Big Cat Alliance which is aimed at protecting the world’s seven major big cat species, as their presence is indicative of a healthy ecosystem and rich biodiversity.

Conclusion

The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia, marked a pivotal moment in global biodiversity efforts. The conference focused on implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), aiming to protect 30% of the world’s land and seas by 2030, reduce harmful subsidies, and restore degraded ecosystems. Key outcomes included the establishment of a multilateral mechanism for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic resources, and commitments to mobilize additional resources for biodiversity protection. The conference underscored the critical role of indigenous peoples and local communities in biodiversity conservation and emphasized the urgent need for collective action to turn commitments into tangible results.