Ipieca’s Post

🔎 Carbon Brief has published an in-depth summary of all the key outcomes from the COP16 biodiversity summit. Read all the key outcomes here ⬇️ https://buff.ly/3NUVpO2 📚 Carbon Brief's summary is broken up into easy-to-read and navigable sections, including the Cali Fund, Digital sequence information, NBSAPs, Article 8(j) on Indigenous peoples participation and the impact of campaigners. The summit came to an abrupt halt on Saturday after countries failed to reach consensus on the creation of a new fund during a mammoth 10-hour final plenary session. Countries debated through the night on Friday in 🇨🇴Cali, Colombia, in an attempt to get through the many items on COP16’s agenda. But, as the talks dragged on into Saturday morning, a large number of developing-country delegates were forced to catch flights home, leaving parties without the “quorum” needed to reach consensus on key issues. ✍️ Aruna Chandrasekhar, Daisy Dunne, Orla Dwyer, Yanine Quiroz, and Dr Giuliana Viglione #COP16 #Biodiversity #Nature #Cali

“I suspect the reason why biodiversity credits are on the agenda, and massive subsidy reforms are not, is because the subsidy reforms are really difficult,” he said. “Markets are both a hope for something new that will be easier, because initially it’ll basically be people choosing to participate in it… and it will be a slightly easier lift than unpicking the global system of subsidies,” according to The Nature Conservancy. The reason reform subsidies is not on the agenda is not because it's more difficult to do than setting a pseudo market, it's because it would reduce profits for some destructive activites. And markets are a "hope for something new" only to people who know nothing about markets and have been living in a cave far away from carbon offsets for the past 15 years ). #COP16Colombia #COP16

How very true Frederic Hache: "The reason reform subsidies is not on the agenda is not because it's more difficult to do than setting a pseudo market, it's because it would reduce profits for some destructive activities. " I created a post* in the same spirit yesterday as #COP16 was getting off the ground asking the question: what is common between Escobar’s cocaine hippos, Verra and commodification of nature (aka. promoting biodiversity credits/ offsets as a solution) ? with a reference to the ‘ Civil society statement on biodiversity offsets and credits’ sating that “ BIODIVERSITY MARKETS ARE FALSE SOLUTIONS - Stop the promotion, development and use of biodiversity offsetting and crediting schemes. Instead, prioritize transformational change in tackling the underlying causes of biodiversity loss” (-> https://lnkd.in/gdaQxKNx ) * -> https://lnkd.in/gzq6U-wK

This past weekend, COP16 Colombia concluded with countries failing to reach consensus on a new global biodiversity fund, despite prior commitments. At the previous COP, wealthy nations had agreed to a target of $20bn per year in nature finance to support developing countries, however, decisions were left unmade and will need to be revisited during inter-sessional meetings next year.   Overall, there has been a lack of progress on implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: only 44 out of 196 parties – 22% – have come up with new biodiversity plans.   However, there were some areas of progress.   🧬 CALI FUND – Countries agreed to a global fund to which cosmetics, agribusiness, nutraceutical and technology companies that use genetic data should contribute 1% of their profits, or 0.1% of their revenue. (Note the emphasis on “should” – contributions aren’t yet mandated…)   🌏 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES – It was also agreed that the UN should host a new permanent body for Indigenous peoples, allowing them to advise and offer their view at future biodiversity COPs.   For a full analysis of the outcomes of COP16, we’d recommend this in-depth summary from Carbon Brief: https://lnkd.in/gtT24Ahm   Or this round-up from UN Biodiversity: https://lnkd.in/dDfFW9eU   Subscribe and listen to learn more about nature, in our latest podcast episode: https://lnkd.in/eJ_RRSuK   #COP16Columbia #COP16 #Biodiversity #NatureFinance #FossilvsFuture #CaliFund #Carbon #UNBiodiversity #KunmingMontrealGBF

🌍 COP16 Outcomes: A Critical Juncture in #Biodiversity Conservation 🌿 As #COP16 comes to a close, we are at a pivotal moment for our planet's biodiversity. Despite the summit's abrupt conclusion, critical advancements have been made, though much work remains. For in depth review, I recommend this summary from Carbon Brief https://lnkd.in/dc69_JDs 1️⃣ Indigenous Voices Elevated: A new permanent body allows Indigenous communities to advise directly on biodiversity policy—a groundbreaking step for inclusion and equity. 2️⃣ The Cali Fund: Nations agreed on a benefit-sharing fund for genetic resources, encouraging corporate contributions to conservation, though participation remains voluntary. 3️⃣ Finance Gaps and Fund Stalemate: The push for a new global biodiversity fund remains unresolved, with discussions set to continue next year to address funding disparities. 4️⃣ Accountability and Monitoring Needs: Only 22% of parties submitted updated biodiversity plans, highlighting a need for stronger support and commitment to the 2030 targets.

The Carbon Brief have created a really digestible summary of where the UK is at in terms of fulfilling their international role ahead of COP16. https://lnkd.in/eHDF9i4K In summary, countries are suppose to share their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and their National Target submissions ahead of COP16 (in two weeks!) so they could be considered in the global context. Both outline how national policy, including all the four countries that make up the UK, is being updated since the publication of the Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15. Alongside others, The UK have provided national target reports but not the NBSAP - largely because of the elections back in the summer. While it is disappointing that the NBSAP will not be available ahead of the conference, we hope that this means that the NBSAP can be more ambitious under the new government, and provide an opportunity for engagement with stakeholders, including youth.

As the planet approaches a critical threshold of irreversible #biodiversity loss, world leaders are convening in Cali, Colombia, on October 21 to advance the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal #GlobalBiodiversityFramework. Here's what we can expect from #COP16 👉 https://lnkd.in/dcw29tBA

Ahead of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) starting next week in Cali, Colombia, TRAFFIC has produced a short policy brief and stands ready to support governments and partners to accelerate implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). TRAFFIC's work supports Targets 5 and 9 of the KMGBF: Illegal and unsustainable trade in wild species will be significantly reduced, and legal and sustainable trade in wild species will provide significantly increased social, economic, and environmental benefits for people. See the full policy brief here: https://lnkd.in/d8Y8wAu6

#COP16 was the first Biodiversity COP since the agreement of the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022. So, what was ultimately achieved at the summit? We asked Jenny Merriman of WSP in the UK and Claire Wansbury of AtkinsRéalis, two leading Chartered Environmentalists, for their take on the key outcomes of COP29 and how they impact the environmental profession. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/einJ2E5h #biodiversity #biodiversitytargets

Another year, another COP… A lot of positives came out of discussions and there were many very good initiatives but once again it feels that governments are not committing and are still stubbornly putting short term political considerations ahead of what the world needs. At what that is, is meaningful legislative requirements to force individuals and organisations to take the loss of biodiversity seriously. Fortunately the scientific and business communities do appear to be taking the issue much more seriously and I was delighted to see so many positive steps being taken rather than waiting for governmental leadership that simply isn’t going to come. My favourite, if somewhat partisan, initiative was the launch of the Ramboll Global Biodiversity Metric, This free, open-source tool allows organisations to measure the biodiversity value of habitats across the world, supporting ecosystem protection, restoration, and sustainable development. The metric provides a transparent, repeatable methodology to guide decision-making in line with the mitigation hierarchy, empowering businesses, governments, and land managers to assess biodiversity impacts and take meaningful action. https://lnkd.in/eVFbtU6P