The second segment of COP15 will meet physically to conclude negotiations on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, which was initially scheduled from 25 April to 8 May next year, is likely to be postponed due to the fact that the latest covid pandemic developments have led to the postponement of the meetings of the subsidiary bodies originally scheduled for January in Geneva.

Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius and 21 EU ministers strongly advocated for an ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework. Sinkevičius said: ‘Nature is under unprecedented pressure. It’s time to tackle the biodiversity crisis with the same urgency as the climate crisis. The two crises are in fact two sides of the same coin. At COP15, the international community will seek to agree on an ambitious global biodiversity framework with strong monitoring to measure progress on the ground. This is a generational task – we must succeed in offering a liveable and thriving planet to future generations.’

During the conference, the CBD parties adopted the Kunming Declaration, through which they committed to negotiating an effective post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework that can bend the curve of biodiversity loss.

Stepping up financing biodiversity conservation was a key topic at the conference. There was general consensus that more financial means need to be mobilised. A number of speakers at the Roundtable B, ‘Closing the Financing Gap and ensuring the means of implementation’, reaffirmed the importance of generating new funds from all sources (domestic and international, public and private), phasing out harmful financial resources (including subsidies that harm biodiversity), and improving the efficiency of existing resources (i.e. by increasing synergies with climate finance) to ensure successful implementation of the framework by aligning all financial flows. At the same time, a number of developing country ministers and other representatives highlighted the need for developed countries to significantly increase financing to developing countries, including the need to reflect the concept of ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibility’.

Among the most important commitments and initiatives presented during the meeting were the announcement made by Chinese President Xi Jinping of the 1.5 billion-yuan (about EUR 205 million) Kunming Biodiversity Fund; the EU's commitment to double external funding for biodiversity; the commitment of President Macron of France to dedicate 30% of its climate funds to biodiversity; the announcement by the Government of Japan of a EUR 15 million extension to the Japan Biodiversity Fund; and the commitment made by the coalition of financial institutions, with assets of 12 trillion euros, to protect and restore biodiversity through its activities and investments.

Additionally, the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Environment Programme announced that they will fast-track financial and technical support to developing country governments to prepare and update their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans for implementation of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

The meeting also saw the adoption of an interim integrated budget for 2022 for the Convention, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing, as well as a progress report from the co-chairs of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. 

Next steps include:

• meetings of the CBD subsidiary bodies in Geneva, initially planned for January 2022 but now postponed to 13-29 March 2022;
• conclusions to be adopted at the Environment Council in March 2022;

CBD COP15, part 2, initially planned for 25 April – 8 May 2022 but now most likely to be rescheduled for later, expected to take place in Kunming though a back-up location will be secured.