Countries ratify historic agreement on biodiversity at COP15

Nearly 200 countries on Monday ratified a historic agreement at the UN’s biodiversity summit to reverse decades of environmental destruction that threatens the world’s species and ecosystems.

Four years after the last agreement and after almost two weeks of intense and difficult negotiations, the members of the Convention on Biological Diversity approved a framework of action proposed by China, which chaired the meeting, with sole opposition from the Democratic Republic. Congo.

“The deal has been approved,” Chinese Environment Minister Huang Runqiu said when he gave the gavel at a dawn plenary meeting in Montreal, Canada. The announcement was met with applause.

The Kunming-Montreal Agreement is a roadmap aimed at protecting the land and ocean to prevent the mass extinction of species due to increased pollution.

The text sets the goal of protecting 30% of the planet by 2030 and the release of $30 billion in annual aid for conservation efforts in developing countries.

“Together, we took a historic step,” said Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister for the Environment, who hosted the summit.

The best-known of the 23 goals was defined as the biodiversity equivalent of the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, including Paris weather, by creating protected areas on at least 30% of the planet’s land and water. 2015.

Currently, 17 percent of the land and 8 percent of the seas are under protection.

The project talks about the protection of indigenous peoples, who are the guardians of 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity, a demand widely requested by representatives of these communities at the summit.

On financing, the most sensitive issue during the negotiations, the approved text proposes that annual international aid for biodiversity should reach “at least $20 billion” by 2025 and “at least $30 billion by 2030”.

“Won’t Be Enough”

“Most people say it’s doing better on both sides than we expected, for both rich countries and developing countries. That’s a sign of good text,” said Lee White, Gabon’s environment minister.

“Deer, sea turtles, parrots, rhinoceroses, rare ferns are among the millions of species whose future prospects are expected to increase significantly thanks to the agreement,” said Brian O’Donnell of the NGO Campaign for Nature.

Bert Wander of the Avaaz NGO told AFP that the text “is an important step in the fight to save life on Earth, but it will not be enough.”

“Governments must listen to the science and rapidly increase their ambitions to protect half the Earth by 2030,” he added.

In fact, scientists warn that time is short: 75% of ecosystems have been altered by human activities, and more than a million species are in danger of extinction.

The previous agreement, signed in Japan in 2010, failed to achieve almost any of its objectives, mainly due to the lack of enforcement and monitoring mechanisms.

Financing tensions

Negotiations over available funds escalated tensions during COP15.

Until the last minute, Chinese representatives tried to persuade the last hesitant countries, especially several African countries, to accept the financial proposal presented in the draft text.

Dozens of countries in the Southern Hemisphere, especially Brazil, have asked them to undertake $100 billion a year commitment for protection from the Northern States, which they accuse of enriching themselves at the expense of their resources.

This represents 10 times the current aid for biodiversity.

In addition to subsidies, developing countries have sought to secure the creation of a global fund dedicated to biodiversity, such as the one approved in Egypt in November, to help states confront climate damage.

Instead of funding, China has created a commitment to dedicate a portion of its existing Global Environment Facility (FMAM) – from 2023 – to biodiversity, whose current functioning is considered very inadequate by the most vulnerable countries.