Global Biodiversity Framework

Global Biodiversity Framework
Name	Global Biodiversity Framework
Adopted	2022
Location	Kunming, Montreal
Treaty	Convention on Biological Diversity
Parties	United Nations
Goals	Conservation, restoration, sustainable use

Contents

Global Biodiversity Framework The Global Biodiversity Framework is an international agreement adopted under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity at meetings convened in Kunming and finalized during sessions in Montreal. It builds on prior multilateral instruments such as the Aichi Targets and aligns with agendas set at the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Negotiations involved delegations from members of the European Union, the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Group of 77, alongside inputs from World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and the IUCN.

Background and Development

The Framework emerged from decades of diplomacy anchored by the Convention on Biological Diversity, first opened at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and sustained through meetings of the Conference of the Parties (COP). Earlier instruments including the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol informed negotiations alongside scientific assessments by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and policy guidance from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Major negotiating blocs—Japan, United States, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and the European Commission—debated targets at sessions in Cancún, Nagoya, and Sharm el-Sheikh before concluding in Montreal with stakeholders such as Greenpeace, BirdLife International, and indigenous networks including representatives from The Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee and International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity.

The Framework sets quantitative and qualitative goals inspired by the Aichi Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals such as protecting terrestrial and marine areas, restoring degraded ecosystems, and reducing species extinctions. Targets reference protected area expansion akin to commitments discussed at COP15 and link to conservation finance mechanisms advanced at the World Bank and Global Environment Facility. Specific aims echo priorities championed by leaders from United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Republic of Korea and scientific calls from institutions like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Smithsonian Institution.

Implementation relies on National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans submitted by parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, with capacity-building support from the Global Environment Facility, technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization, and policy coordination through the United Nations Development Programme. Countries including Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Nigeria, Kenya, Australia, and New Zealand have translated targets into domestic legislation with involvement from ministries such as those in Russia and Indonesia and guidance from regional bodies like the European Commission and the African Union Commission.

Monitoring frameworks draw on methodologies from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, biodiversity indicators developed by the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat, and datasets from institutions like GBIF, UNEP-WCMC, and the World Resources Institute. Parties submit national reports and national action plans for peer review during subsequent Conference of the Parties sessions; scientific synthesis occurs through the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and data verification with partners such as NASA and the European Space Agency. Independent reviews conducted by organizations including WWF and IUCN complement official reporting.

Resource mobilization aligns contributions from the Global Environment Facility, development banks such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, philanthropic funders including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, and private-sector initiatives involving corporations listed on exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. Proposals mirror finance mechanisms discussed at the G20 Summit, COP26, and meetings of the International Monetary Fund, with calls for results-based payments and carbon-biodiversity crediting linked to methodologies piloted by Verra and governance frameworks from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Critics from Friends of the Earth, academic institutions such as Oxford University and Harvard University, and legislators in United States Congress and the European Parliament have highlighted issues including vagueness of targets, enforcement gaps, and equity concerns raised by indigenous organizations like the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. Tensions between economic actors represented at the World Economic Forum and conservation groups, disputes over benefit-sharing under the Nagoya Protocol, and implementation capacity constraints in countries like Haiti and Yemen pose obstacles. Debates have involved legal experts from institutions such as the International Court of Justice and policy advisers from the World Bank.

Progress reporting references biodiversity indicators used by the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat, datasets curated by GBIF and IUCN Red List, and modeling from research centers including WCS, CIFOR, and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Early national commitments reported by Brazil, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Philippines are monitored alongside marine protection announcements linked to marine reserves around Palau and Seychelles. Outcome evaluations will be informed by collaborations with universities such as University of Cambridge, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Yale University and by climate-biodiversity integration efforts championed by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Category:International environmental agreements