Stockholm (NordSIP) – The 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), which ended in November 2024 without reaching a consensus agreement, will resume from 25 to 27 February in Rome, Italy. The decision to reconvene at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters was taken in the hope that key outstanding COP16 agenda points can be resolved well ahead of the next scheduled conference which is only scheduled to take place next year in Armenia.
Although the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) signed in December 2022 represented a major step forwards in global efforts to reverse nature loss, many of the underlying financing and implementation mechanisms are yet to be agreed and put in place. The mobilisation of finance to support the KMGBF goal of protecting 30% of the planet by 2030 will be the primary focus of the additional sessions later this month. To date the funding has come from bilateral arrangements, private and philanthropic sources, as well as dedicated funds such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) including its Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) and the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF).
Sweden and Norway put their money where their mouth is
The funding of these facilities by wealthy GBF signatory nations has been a source of controversy, with some countries accused of failing to meet their fair share of the total, with the notable exception of Sweden, Norway, and Germany. The Rome sessions will aim to produce a new Resource Mobilisation Strategy to secure $200 billion annually by 2030 while reducing subsidies and incentives that are harmful to nature to the tune of $500 billion per year.
A new Planning, Monitoring, Reporting, and Review (PMRR) mechanism will also be on the table this month. This is aimed at supporting the accurate review of progress at COP17 and will incorporate a national reporting template with headline indicators. Negotiators will also consider expanding the scope of the mechanism to include commitments from non-state actors, civil society, and the private sector.
All the Rome agenda points were originally scheduled to be finalised and agreed at COP16, and the outcome of that conference was met with anger and dismay from certain parties. Nevertheless, Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the CBD has been keen to emphasise the positive and urges delegates to complete the job: “Strong results achieved at COP 16, underpinned by a spirit of compromise and dialogue, show that multilateralism remains effective even in challenging times. Today’s swift agreement to conclude our discussions in early 2025 reflects the determination to maintain momentum and ensure the successful implementation of the KMGBF.”
Image courtesy of Pexels from Pixabay
Stockholm (NordSIP) – The 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), which ended in November 2024 without reaching a consensus agreement, will resume from 25 to 27 February in Rome, Italy. The decision to reconvene at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters was taken in the hope that key outstanding COP16 agenda points can be resolved well ahead of the next scheduled conference which is only scheduled to take place next year in Armenia.
Although the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) signed in December 2022 represented a major step forwards in global efforts to reverse nature loss, many of the underlying financing and implementation mechanisms are yet to be agreed and put in place. The mobilisation of finance to support the KMGBF goal of protecting 30% of the planet by 2030 will be the primary focus of the additional sessions later this month. To date the funding has come from bilateral arrangements, private and philanthropic sources, as well as dedicated funds such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) including its Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) and the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF).
Sweden and Norway put their money where their mouth is
The funding of these facilities by wealthy GBF signatory nations has been a source of controversy, with some countries accused of failing to meet their fair share of the total, with the notable exception of Sweden, Norway, and Germany. The Rome sessions will aim to produce a new Resource Mobilisation Strategy to secure $200 billion annually by 2030 while reducing subsidies and incentives that are harmful to nature to the tune of $500 billion per year.
A new Planning, Monitoring, Reporting, and Review (PMRR) mechanism will also be on the table this month. This is aimed at supporting the accurate review of progress at COP17 and will incorporate a national reporting template with headline indicators. Negotiators will also consider expanding the scope of the mechanism to include commitments from non-state actors, civil society, and the private sector.
All the Rome agenda points were originally scheduled to be finalised and agreed at COP16, and the outcome of that conference was met with anger and dismay from certain parties. Nevertheless, Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the CBD has been keen to emphasise the positive and urges delegates to complete the job: “Strong results achieved at COP 16, underpinned by a spirit of compromise and dialogue, show that multilateralism remains effective even in challenging times. Today’s swift agreement to conclude our discussions in early 2025 reflects the determination to maintain momentum and ensure the successful implementation of the KMGBF.”
Image courtesy of Pexels from Pixabay
