23/01/2023

BIODEV2030: Debrief on COP15

Photo crédits : Daniel Murillo & BIODEV2030 team

The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) was held in Montreal, Canada, from 7 to 19 December 2022. Over 17,000 representatives of states and public authorities, civil society, indigenous communities, the private sector and research institutions met to adopt the new Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

This included the project team, who were there to promote the BIODEV2030 mainstreaming method piloted in 16 countries, but also to give a voice to private sector actors as they will need to be mobilized for implementation of the Framework. Project stakeholders from the pilot countries (private sector actors and national focal points for the Convention on Biological Diversity) testified to the benefits of the BIODEV2030 method, at several events organized by the project’s partners IUCN, WWF France and Expertise France. In particular, private sector representatives from Fiji, Madagascar, Mozambique and Tunisia confirmed the added value of BIODEV2030 for their sector (in terms of awareness and understanding of the issues) and of initiatives to change practices.

In addition, the project had strong visibility through the booth it shared with the POST2020 project. Numerous meetings were held there in parallel to the negotiations, including discussions between BIODEV2030 countries and between public and private stakeholders, as well as with donors and youth communities. These cross-cutting discussions highlighted the contribution made by BIODEV2030 at national level to implementation of the Framework, along with the needs and prospects for financing voluntary sectoral commitments.

Adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework

After four years of discussion and two weeks of negotiation, the 196 parties adopted the new Global Biodiversity Framework. Through this historic agreement, which is broken down into four goals and 23 targets, the countries have committed to “halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030”. The landmark measures include committing to protect at least 30% of lands and seas by 2030, reducing by half the overall risk posed by pesticides, increasing agroecological practices, and doubling finance for nature (from public and private sources).

Although this agreement does mention taking biodiversity into account in economic activities, adoption of the Long-Term Strategic Approach to Mainstreaming was deferred to future negotiations.

Over the coming months, BIODEV2030 will be closely involved in implementing the Framework, through sharing lessons learned from the project and through continuing its advocacy on mainstreaming. 

7 BIODEV2030 side-events at COP15


Stakeholders from the BIODEV2030 project (private sector representatives, national focal points and project implementation partners) spoke at seven side events at COP15.

with Prasanna Kumar, General operations manager at Praveens Kava (Fiji)

This session, co-hosted with POST2020, looked at the place and role of civil society actors in adoption and implementation of the Framework. BIODEV2030 highlighted the need for the private sector to understand its links with biodiversity, in terms of both dependency and impacts, and to raise farmers’ awareness about their practices.

 

with Romy Andrianarisoa, president of the Commission for Sustainable Development and Business Ethics (Madagascar) and Salah Mhamdi, Executive Director of the National Chamber of Cement Producers (Tunisia)

This session reporting on successful mainstreaming initiatives was co-hosted with ECLAC. It highlighted the importance of assessments to quantify the impact of different sectors on biodiversity, in order to coordinate actors and steer action plans. Although multi-stakeholder dialogue is necessary, it is still insufficient.

with Quentin Dupetit, BIODEV2030 Coordinator (Expertise France)

This workshop hosted by IDDRI focused on challenges to implementation of the Framework. Participants were able to discuss existing initiatives (by countries and by organizations).

with Romy Andrianarisoa (Madagascar)

This workshop hosted by IDDRI brought financial, academic and private sector actors together to discuss potential levers for establishing sustainable production systems. Although there is consensus about the need for scientific data, there is also an observed need to transfer skills to national expertise in order to scale up and thus accelerate implementation.

with Prasanna Kumar (Fiji), Romy Andrianarisoa (Madagascar), Salah Mhamdi (Tunisia) and Luis Fortunato Lifanissa, Federation of Agrarian Association (Mozambique)

This lunchtime discussion hosted by the IUCN brought private sector partners of BIODEV2030 together to share their experiences of mainstreaming biodiversity into their respective sectors and countries.

Avec Romy Andrianarisoa (Madagascar) ; Luis Fortunato Lifanissa, (Mozambique) & Antonin Vergez (UICN)

This session, co-hosted with the IUCN, was the launch for the publication Mainstreaming biodiversity into priority economic sectors, which draws on the assessments of threats in the 16 countries to identify and select priority sectors.

with Luis Fortunato Lifanissa (Mozambique), Melesse Maryo, National Focal Point, Convention on Biological Diversity (Ethiopia) and Antonin Vergez (IUCN)

This session, co-hosted with POST2020, was an opportunity to learn lessons from the project, with a focus on the assessments of threats in the 16 countries to identify and select priority sectors.