CBD COP15 - TIME FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE FOR BIODIVERSITY

Will Travers OBE, Co Founder and Executive President, Born Free Foundation

“Nature and wildlife are in a state of unprecedented crisis, with many species on the brink of extinction and whole ecosystems beginning to collapse. As a result, the critical role nature plays and the ‘services’ it provides to each and every one of us, like the air we breathe, the food and water we eat and drink, and the protections we need against global warming, extreme weather events and devastating infectious diseases, are being systematically undermined

Make no mistake this crisis has been created by humanity, through our unfettered destruction and exploitation of the natural world If we continue along our current path, it’s not just the welfare of animals and the future of species that will suffer our economies, our health and our very lives will be put at ever increasing risk

Yet governments across the world fail to recognise the devastating impacts of nature’s decline They fail to incorporate the true value of biodiversity and wildlife into their thinking They continue to invest public money in exploitative and destructive activities for short term financial gain, without considering the longer term impacts on planetary health and our own well being

If we are to have a viable, productive and truly sustainable future, this situation must change Considerations of nature and wildlife need to be mainstreamed across all policymaking, through integrative governance and a whole of government and society approach.

Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which include the overwhelming majority of the world’s governments, are due to agree the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework at the long delayed 15th Conference of the Parties in Montreal in December 2022 The Framework will establish international biodiversity policy for decades to come It is vital that a strong, progressive agreement is reached, with the protection and recovery of biodiversity and the well being of wildlife at its very core

We cannot afford to keep destroying and exploiting our life support systems. The Conference in Montreal provides a unique opportunity, and perhaps the last great opportunity, for transformative changes to our relationship with nature For the sake of all life on our fragile planet and for a brighter future for generations to come, we must grasp the nettle.”

INTRODUCTION

Biodiversity loss is among the biggest threats facing humanity According to the 2019 Global Assessment report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem services, a million species are at risk of extinction, extinction rates are ‘accelerating’ and nature’s decline is described as ‘unprecedented’, with land and sea use change, direct exploitation of animals and plants, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species identified as the drivers ¹

The challenges facing biodiversity are intricately linked to and of equal urgency and magnitude as the climate and human health crises. All three reflect the increasingly dysfunctional relationship between people and the natural world They cannot be tackled in isolation

Transformative changes are needed to restore and protect nature. The current global response is insufficient, and opposition from vested interests can and must be overcome

The 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15 or UN Biodiversity Conference), due to be held in Montreal in December 2022 and chaired by the Government of China, represents a once in a decade opportunity to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity

As the IPBES Global Assessment states: “Nature can be conserved, restored and used sustainably while other global societal goals are simultaneously met through urgent and concerted efforts fostering transformative change.”¹

However, this vital meeting where global governments, civil society, scientists, indigenous peoples and the business sector will convene, and which is expected to agree the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (hereafter ‘Framework’) which will to establish international biodiversity policy for decades to come, has been delayed for over two years by the Covid 19 pandemic

In spite of the delays, progress towards establishing an ambitious, meaningful, implementable and enforceable framework has fallen short of guaranteeing success at COP15 In the run up to the meeting, consensus among governments has been beyond reach on most issues The negotiations have lacked strong political leadership and transparent engagement, and as a result debates have been infertile and have often focussed on peripheral issues. Various parts of the framework are at different stages of development, all four of the high level goals require further work, and agreement has been reached on just one and a half of the 22 proposed targets

If we are to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, protect wild species and safeguard the essential services nature provides to us all, governments must come together in Montreal to agree an ambitious framework that mainstreams biodiversity protection across all of government and society, and must commit to its implementation, enforcement and resourcing to ensure its goals and targets are achieved

To quote Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the CBD, “ the more humanity exploits nature in unsustainable ways and undermines its contributions to people, the more we undermine our own wellbeing, security and prosperity biodiversity is an issue too important to fail”.

To this end, Born Free has been advocating for three essential elements that must be incorporated into the framework:

An end to, and the prevention of, human induced species extinctions, alongside the restoration of threatened species and effective conservation of all wildlife; An ecocentric interpretation of the cross-cutting 'sustainable use' narrative to end wildlife overexploitation; and The integration of animal health and well being, through full adherence to a One Health approach for the benefit of wildlife, the wider environment, and humanity.

¹IPBES(2019):SummaryforpolicymakersoftheglobalassessmentreportonbiodiversityandecosystemservicesoftheIntergovernmentalSciencePolicyPlatformonBiodiversityandEcosystemServices.S.Díaz,etal(eds.).IPBESsecretariat,Bonn,Germany.56pages. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3553579

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In September 2020, world leaders came together at the UN Summit on Biodiversity in New York to send ‘a united signal to step up global ambition for biodiversity and to commit to matching our collective ambition for nature, climate and people with the scale of the crisis at hand ’²

In order to fulfil this Pledge for Nature, the CBD’s 2050 Vision of “Living in Harmony with Nature³", achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all UN Member States in 2015⁴, and provide people with the right to a clean and healthy environment as mandated by both the UN Human Rights Council and General Assembly⁵, the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will need to be ambitious

"We declare that putting biodiversity on a path to recovery is a defining challenge of this decade, [...] requiring strong political momentum to develop, adopt and implement an ambitious and transformative post-2020 global biodiversity framework [...]"

Kunming Declaration adopted at COP15 Part 1

Part I of COP15 in October 2021 culminated in the adoption of the Kunming Declaration⁶ , which articulated the level of global commitment needed for an ambitious Framework In September 2022, governments attending the UN General Assembly announced new commitments to reverse biodiversity loss through the adoption of a transformative biodiversity agreement in Montreal.

A lack of political ambition, poor appreciation of the scale of the challenge, and a dearth of sufficient and targeted resources, resulted in none of the 20 ‘Aichi targets’ agreed in 2010⁷, which the Framework will replace, being fully realised. This failure cannot be repeated.

The 2030 mission must reflect the urgent action needed, be clear and rallying, and aim to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. As such the mission of the framework for the period up to 2030, towards the 2050 vision should be: "To take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to put nature on a path to recovery for the benefit of all life on Earth".

Standing still is no longer an option, given the mounting pressures on natural resources from an ever increasing human population. Earth Overshoot Day⁸, which landed on July 28th 2022, gets progressively earlier each year The Framework must contain ambitious but achievable goals and targets for 2030 designed to halt and reverse the biodiversity crisis, through the restoration of healthy, fully functional ecosystems and the critical services they provide

The Framework must also adopt a highly precautionary approach to activities that increase the risk to biodiversity. This should include tackling habitat loss and fragmentation, wildlife exploitation and trade, and avoiding the introduction of potentially invasive species A focus on preventing species becoming threatened is vital, while also reducing pressure on already threatened species and enabling their recovery.

Animals are vital components of ecosystems, and the importance of their health and well being must be prioritised through the incorporation of a One Health approach This requires recognition of the interrelationship between human, animal and ecosystem health, and its value in reducing pandemic risk. The UNEA resolution on the animal welfare, environment and sustainable development nexus⁹ , adopted in March 2022, acknowledges the role of animal welfare in promoting One Health, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development

Wildlife overexploitation must end, and all remaining forms of wildlife use and trade must be safe and ecologically sustainable Unsustainable and high risk activities must be eliminated. Social or economic factors must not be used to justify activities that damage biodiversity or increase risk to animal and human health and well being

https://www.leaderspledgefornature.org ³

https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/0b54/1750/607267ea9109b52b750314a0/cop-14-09-en.pdf ⁴ https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/ ⁵ https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1123482 ⁶ https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/c2db/972a/fb32e0a277bf1ccfff742be5/cop-15-05-add1-en.pdf ⁷ https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/ ⁸ https://www.overshootday.org/ ⁹ https://www.unep.org/environmentassembly/unea-5.2/proceedings-report-ministerial-declaration-resolutions-anddecisions-unea-5.2

Fully adhering to a One Health approach embedding animal health and well being is key to reducing zoonotic disease risk and tackling the biodiversity and climate crises In its latest flagship report "Putting Pandemics Behind Us: Investing in One Health to Reduce Risks of Emerging Infectious Diseases," (October 2022) the World Bank calls for the universal adoption of an integrated approach to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINSTREAMING

Collective political will among Governments will be indispensable for the success of the Framework, alongside robust monitoring, reporting and review mechanisms

However, national strategies and action plans developed in response to previous global targets have been criticised for being aspirational and lacking clear linkages to national policy actions.

In order to avoid further failure to meet global goals and targets articulated in the Framework, policy actions must be commensurate with the scope of the task and its challenges The implementation of the Framework will require transparent and inclusive governance, and coherent and effective national legislation, policies and institutions.

Embedding and valuing nature in all decision making at all levels; Supporting the integration of biodiversity considerations in all decision making to go beyond short term economic gains and monetary contributions to GDP; Mainstreaming biodiversity within and across all levels of government and all of society (Targets 14 21); and Developing/updating and implementing meaningful National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) designed to deliver on the Framework’s goals and targets, alongside credible and verifiable mechanisms by which their implementation can be monitored, and to which governments can be held accountable.

"Respect for the different ways of valuing nature is an act of recognition that can advance just decisionmaking and allow for the mainstreaming of these values into policy". - IPBES Values Assessment (2022)

The draft Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health currently being developed under SBSTTA (the technical advisory body to the CBD), has among its strategic operational objectives: "To mainstream biodiversity and health linkages through sector-specific plans, including in the health sector, with a view to reducing the common drivers of biodiversity loss and health impacts and thus promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity alongside human well-being and animal welfare." This should also be reflected in the framework.

See the draft Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health here.

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COP15 must adopt a Monitoring Framework that is readily applicable, with headline indicators that are fit for purpose and can be used immediately to measure progress towards the goals and targets of the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

At the Workshop on the Monitoring Framework in July 2022, experts noted that "the successful implementation of the Framework requires being able to track progress and therefore indicators are central for this purpose. [...] Continuing work to fill key data gaps, including through capacity-building, is vital".

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While the need to maintain, and where appropriate, enhance nature’s contributions to people provides a strong rationale for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, the species and ecosystem attributes described in Goal A are critical for ecosystem service provision as they underpin the essential functions that enable the delivery of benefits for people. Priority should therefore be given to reducing threats to and exploitation of wildlife, and to the active conservation and restoration of biodiversity

The adoption of appropriate terminology is important, in order to ensure appreciation of the scale and scope of the problem, and the nature of the required actions. This should include clear and unambiguous instructions to Governments, and the avoidance of vague terminology. In particular, the term ‘sustainable use’ should only be applied to uses which meet strict biological and ecological sustainability criteria, that allow species and the ecosystems of which they are a part to recover and thrive

The CBD cannot fight this battle alone. Optimising the synergies and complementarities with other bi di it l t d C ti d t h th C ti th C ti f Mi t

RESOURCE MOBILISATION AND FINANCING

The latest research estimates environmentally harmful subsidies to be at least US$1.8 trillion per year. Target 18 must commit to:

Reform ALL environmentally harmful subsidies, including direct and indirect incentives or tax exemptions, and redirect or eliminate them as appropriate.

- Reduce environmentally harmful subsidies by at least US$500 billion per year.

Scale up positive incentives to align all public financial flows with a nature positive economy

See Business for Nature's position here.

Alongside an ambitious, clear, concise, easily communicable mission to halt and reverse the decline in nature by 2030, the Framework must provide the enabling conditions, identify the resources required, and encourage their provision, to ensure this ambition can be effectively delivered

Taking the necessary steps to address the current imbalance with nature brings greater economic and financial benefit in the long term Healthy economies and societies depend on healthy ecosystems, and economic recovery post Covid 19 cannot side line nature and climate if it is to be sustainable and balanced A green and just recovery will also provide jobs and livelihoods, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable. Harmful financial incentives, which further undermine the viability of natural systems, need to be eliminated, and instead redirected towards nature positive solutions

Successful implementation of the Framework is estimated to require a US$200 billion annual increase in international financial flows from all sources to developing countries. In addition, the Framework must seek to redirect, repurpose, reform or eliminate incentives harmful for biodiversity, in a just and equitable way, reducing them by at least $500 billion per year

Innovative financial solutions must be rapidly identified and implemented

At the international level, commitments should be sought to:

Place public health, food and water security, poverty alleviation, biodiversity protection and healthy ecosystems on an equal standing, politically, financially and socially; Transform the distribution of global resources to fund biodiversity protection; and Develop and deliver alternative livelihoods and food sources for those who currently rely on the exploitation of wild animals and plants for their survival

International financing mechanisms, Governments, and the private sector should be encouraged to:

Incorporate green priorities in budget allocation; Develop green revenue streams; and Follow fund deployment targets that enhance nature recovery and public health

Target 15 requires business and financial institutions to transform their business practices. Only a target that includes effective mandatory and regulatory requirements will accelerate business action at the scale that science requires.

Target 15 must therefore include:

Mandatory requirements to assess and disclose impact and dependencies on biodiversity.

- A numerical figure to incentivise business to reduce negative impacts by at least half and increase positive impacts to align all activities with a nature-positive economy.

Impacts across both operations and value chains

See Business for Nature's position here.

Mechanisms by which increased financial flows might be achieved include nature based solutions, ecosystem based approaches, debt for nature schemes, and payments for ecosystem services The UN Development Programme’s Biodiversity Financing Initiative¹¹ identifies such mechanisms Further information can be found in Born Free’s Global Nature Recovery Investment Initiative¹², and in the joint Declaration to the G20 compiled in November 2020 by 20 of the world’s leading conservation organisations¹³

¹¹https://www.biofin.org/about-biofin/what-biodiversity-finance ¹²https://www.bornfree.org.uk/publications/invest-in-nature ¹³https://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/wc20

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Born Free is a UK-based international charity committed to promoting compassionate conservation to enhance the survival of threatened species in the wild and protect natural habitats, while respecting the needs and safeguarding the welfare of individual animals. As a leading wildlife charity, we oppose the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them where they belong in the wild.