CBD COP 15 TOOLKIT: Background and resources on the UN negotiations of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, Montreal, Canada - December 2022

This toolkit offers resources and updates as the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is negotiated by parties in the lead up to the 15th Conference of Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), that will be hosted in Montreal, 7-19 December, 2022.

While there are several key topics to track in the lead up to COP 15 in December, the following are of particular interest:

• We need collective action, political leadership and ambition if we are to deliver a new deal for nature that tackles the scale of the twin biodiversity and climate crises.
• The global scientific community agrees: 30% protection is the minimum target needed for the health of our planet. The focus is now shifting to implementation.

• Masha Kalinina: The Pew Charitable Trusts, @mashkalina. For media enquires: lmargison@pewtrusts.org or tel. +1.202.849.0272
• Mariasole Bianco: President and Co-founder of Worldrise. For media enquiries: mariasole.bianco@worldrise.org or tel. +39.33.9177.1881
• Philippines: Michael Atrigenio, Marine Protected Area Support Network. For media enquiries: matrigenio@gmail.com
• Malaysia: Julian Hyde, General Manager, Reef Check Malaysia. For media enquiries: julian@reefcheck.org.my
• Thailand: Dr. Thamasak Yeemin, President, Marine Science Association of Thailand. For media enquiries: thamasakyeemin@hotmail.com, +66 2 310 8415
• Dr. Ralf Sonntag, Senior Advisor - Oceans, World Future Council. For media enquiries: ralf.sonntag@worldfuturecouncil.org

• In an attempt to put humanity on a path towards “living in harmony with nature” and help biodiversity recover worldwide, on July 12, 2021 the CBD shared the first official draft of its Global Biodiversity Framework.
• The plan lists four long-term goals to be reached by 2050 and 10 milestones with a 2030 deadline.
• The milestones will be bolstered by 21 action targets that together are intended to address threats posed by climate change, pollution, overexploitation, invasive species, and changes in how people use our planet’s land and sea. Each of the 21 targets is a needed component of a comprehensive approach to conservation.
• 30 by 30 is detailed in draft Target 3 that currently states: “Ensure that at least 30% globally of land areas and sea areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and its contributions to people, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative, and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated in the wider landscapes and seascapes.”

• Protecting and conserving at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 is a global target.
• To ensure positive outcomes from 30 by 30 - for people and nature - it is critical to secure agreement of the level of protection, meaning the degree to which an area is safeguarded from environmentally damaging activities like industrial fishing or seabed mining.
• Target 3 of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework must call for all protected areas attributed towards securing the 30 by 30 target to be free from environmentally damaging activities, otherwise there will be little difference between areas within and outside the 30%.

Preferred Target 3 language: Target 3. Ensure that at least 30 per cent globally of terrestrial, including freshwater, and of marine ecosystems , especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and its contributions to people, are effectively and equitably conserved and managed through ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures which prohibit environmentally damaging activities, and are integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes

• The recently published MPA Guide is a science-based tool that should be used for reporting on the post-2020 targets and indicators relating to marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.
• Under the original CBD target Aichi 11, many marine protected areas submitted toward the 10% marine goal allowed mining, oil and gas, industrial-scale fishing (now addressed in IUCN motion 66 adopted in 2020), and more.
• It is important to recognize that action to effectively protect and conserve at least 30% of lands and ocean is only one part of securing a healthy planet.
• The framework recognizes that the loss of biodiversity is jeopardizing human well-being and sustainable development and that conservation efforts must include all stakeholders and be designed to benefit biodiversity, people, and the climate. As countries take action to implement 30 by 30, it is critically important to ensure that protections are effective and robust, and that the approach to this effort is inclusive and respects the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities.

• As of March 9, 2022: 116 countries have joined an alliance support the 30 by 30 ocean target, or signed onto a statement that endorses the goal of protecting/conserving at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030. 107 of these countries are members of either the Global Ocean Alliance (72 member states total), the High Ambition Coalition (84 member states total) or both GOA and HAC (48 countries). Eight governments have expressed support through another statement/group.
• February 2022: An online poll of more than 3,000 people living in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines found that almost all - 96% in Malaysia, 98% in Indonesia and 95% in the Philippines - supported a proposed "30x30" nature protection goal. In addition, 87% of Malaysian polled, 93% of Indonesians and 91% of Filipinos said they were highly or somewhat aware of talks on a global nature pact.
• September 2021: On the margins of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, government leaders and others noted: 72 countries support a target to protect at least 30% of both the world’s land and ocean by 2030. An additional 31 countries now support a target to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030. In total, 92 world leaders now support a global goal to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. Together these commitments represent 120 countries, 41% of global GDP and 32% of the world population.
• May 2021: U.S. Tribal leaders statement in support of the 30 by 30 initiative, to protect 30 percent of US lands and waters
• January 2021: An informal coalition of NGOs and other civil society organizations shared with representatives from CBD a statement calling for a robust global biodiversity framework that will safeguard our ocean ecosystems for the long-term benefit of communities, fishers, biodiversity, and Earth’s climate.
• January 2021: Ludovic Burns Tuki, a Rapa Nui Community Leader from Easter Island, speaks to the importance of reaching the 30 by 30 goal.

• Financing is critical to the long-term success of protected areas.
• A cost-benefit analysis estimated that achieving the goal of protecting at least 30% of our planet's lands and ocean by 2030 could be achieved with an investment of only 0.16% of global gross domestic product annually - or an estimated US $103-178 billion per year
• Implementing the 30 by 30 target would generate an additional economic benefit of US $170 billion - $534 billion per year by 2050.
• However, projected benefits of 30 by 30 of our ocean far outweigh projected implementation costs. In December 2020 the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy issued a report found that for every $1 we invest in protecting and conserving our ocean, we generate $5 back in economic, health, and environmental benefits.
• However, if ecological tipping points are reached and countries fail to invest more in protecting and restoring nature, the global economy would face annual losses of $2.7 trillion by 2030, the World Bank has warned.
• The 'Economic Case for Nature' noted: 51 countries - with a combined population of 1.6 billion people - would experience an overall fall in gross domestic product of 10-20% by the end of this decade if vital ecosystem services collapse. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia would face an annual GDP contraction of 9.7% and 6.5% respectively. Among the hardest-hit will be Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Pakistan,
• COP 15 should require all nations to develop National Biodiversity Finance Plans to close their own national financial resource gaps, align all public and private financial flows and allow them to fully implement their updated National Biodiversity Action Plans.
• To generate the funding needed, the first critical step is to reduce and eventually eliminate harmful subsidies that destroy the environment, like those funding the construction of new fishing vessels or reducing the cost of fuel for economically unviable fisheries. In addition, contributions from public and private sources must increase significantly.

• We have 10 years to deliver the targets outlined in the Global Biodiversity Framework, and there are increasing opportunities to secure the funding to reach the 30 by 30 goal.
• As noted in a new report by CBD: Biodiversity financing needs to reach women and men on the ground. Climate and environmental financing mechanisms with gender related commitments appear to be stimulating greater uptake of gender considerations in the biodiversity actions they finance. The private sector can be an important partner, not only for direct funding, but also by providing markets and related capacity development for gender responsive biodiversity actions.

To generate the funding needed for 30 by 30, the first critical step is to reduce and eventually eliminate subsidies that destroy the environment, like those funding the construction of new fishing vessels or reducing the cost of fuel for economically unviable fisheries. Second, contributions from public and private sources must increase significantly. And we are already seeing new meaningful commitments. For example:

• UK: Over US $4.02 billion of climate finance fund to support nature and biodiversity
• UK: Over US $670 million Blue Planet Fund to protect the oceans
• Germany/Sweden/Norway: Blue Action Fund has invested over US $48 million in 17 projects, designating or securing more than 350,000 square kilometers of marine protected areas (MPAs)
• France: AFD aims to reach over US $1.1 billion in funding to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by 2025
• Canada: Federal government will allocate at least 20% of its international climate finance commitment (over US $786) to nature-based solutions in developing countries over five years.
• UN Environment + BNP Paribas: Collaborating to identify suitable commercial projects with measurable environmental and social impact, with a target of capital funding amounting to US$10 billion by 2025 in developing countries.
• September 2021: 1.5 billion yuan (US $233.21 million) was pledged by Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of a new “Kunming Biodiversity Fund,” the European Union also said it would double funding for biodiversity.

Financial planning should be strategic, adaptive and collaborative - and include sources such as:

• Domestic government budgets - this is currently the largest source of financing
• Impact investing - private investments seek to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impacts alongside a financial return.
• Green bonds and loans - These debt and lending instruments issued by public or private organizations raise capital to finance projects generating environmental impacts alongside financial returns.
• Philanthropy and overseas development assistance - This source is smaller in magnitude than other sources but can be more flexible, pursuing non-financial goals such as biodiversity and local livelihoods, and can support earlier stage projects than private investors would otherwise consider.
• Blended financing - This mechanism uses philanthropy and public sector funding to take on some of the project risk and make investments more attractive to private investors, thereby mobilizing greater financing flows.

• Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) have been among the most effective stewards of biodiversity since time immemorial.
• The IPBES global assessment clearly documents the critical role that IPLCs play in biodiversity conservation, noting that 35% of the areas formally protected and 35% of all remaining terrestrial areas with very low human intervention are traditionally owned, managed, used, or occupied by Indigenous Peoples.
• IPLCs must be full partners in developing and implementing the entire post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the global strategy that countries around the world are developing through the CBD.
• The same is true for 30 by 30. Achieving this global target will only be possible with the leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and with full recognition of their rights.
• It is critical to advance a rights-based approach to biodiversity conservation that can benefit the natural world and support human rights.
• Examples (and attributed quotes) of IPLC support for 30 by are 30 are detailed in this Campaign for Nature overview

• The 30 by 30 goal is achievable, however it can only be achieved through the protection of both national areas and international waters (the high seas).
• To reach the proposed 30 by 30 ocean target by protecting areas only in country exclusive economic zones - EEZs (i.e. excluding the high seas) we would need to protect and conserve 77% of national waters. This is challenging.
• While each nation is encouraged to commit to protecting and conserving at least 30% in their national waters, this is not required. This is also not requested in either the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People or the Global Ocean Alliance.
• However, multiple countries have demonstrated that protecting 30% or more of their marine jurisdiction is possible and yields substantial benefits to biodiversity and adjacent communities. Examples include Chile which protects 43% of its EEZ, the Seychelles which protects 30%, and Palau which protects 80% of its EEZ.
• Protecting the high seas and ecologically important and biologically diverse areas such as the Antarctic Southern Ocean can help deliver a global ocean 30% target and secure a healthy blue planet, that benefits ecosystems, fisheries, and communities.
• The completion of a UN high seas treaty (known as “BBNJ”) would empower nations to create MPAs over a much greater area of the global ocean, facilitating achievement of 30 by 30.
• We must also consider that 30 by 30 should be ecologically representative, meaning that if the focus was only on EEZs, we would leave out critical habitats in the high seas.

• Other effective area-based conservation measures” or OECMs are an internationally recognized conservation measure that, if carefully implemented, can contribute to the 30x30 goal.
• Expanding the conservation toolbox includes other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM), that can provide a wider range of mechanisms for achieving marine conservation goals, including the global 30 by 30 target.
• OECMs are areas that are achieving the effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity, but which - unlike protected areas - are not managed primarily for the long-term conservation of nature.
• A thoughtful approach is necessary to ensure that before an OECM is recognized, the area truly contributes to long-term conservation of biodiversity.
• Examples of an OECM include: A military area that prohibits industrial activities for national security reasons, that may deliver conservation benefits as much as or more than a protected area even though nature conservation is not its primary purpose; Tribal land governed under Tribal rules, which also delivers long-term nature conservation outcomes (with free, prior, and informed consent of Tribes and Tribal authorities).
• OECMs can also acknowledge Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ important conservation contributions in protecting sacred sites, culturally important areas, and biodiversity elements without necessarily involving the formal regional or national government processes required for protected areas.
• OECMs, if equitable and effective, have the potential to complement protected areas around the world.
• At a minimum, a site should meet the CBD and IUCN definition and criteria for an OECM: “a geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio-economic, and other locally relevant values.”

• An OECM must not only protect a single species or species complex and the associated habitat. The area needs to deliver effective and long-term biodiversity protection to the natural structure and function of the ocean ecosystem in which it is situated.
• Have a clear governance mechanism.
• Be in place for the long term and be designed to provide enduring benefits to biodiversity.
• Have clear boundaries.
• Have ongoing monitoring (yearly or every other year) with periodic review (for example, every 7-10 years) to determine whether the area continues to provide significant biodiversity protection and resilience, including in the face of climate change, and outline a clear process for removal of the OECM status if the area no longer qualifies according to criteria outlined here.
• Protect ecologically important species (for example, endangered, threatened, keystone and/or foundational species such as forage species) and their habitats within the area.
• Prevent existing and reasonably foreseeable threats to the area’s biodiversity by prohibiting environmentally damaging activities from occurring in OECMs; and prohibiting human activities, including across multiple sectors, which have demonstrable negative impacts on the OECM’s ability to conserve biodiversity, including activities that may occur or are foreseeable in the near-term.