Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

December 20, 2022

The 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Montreal in December 2022 adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The GBF includes four goals and 23 targets to address the loss of biodiversity and restore natural ecosystems by 2030. The GBF was agreed upon by representatives of 188 governments, including 95% of all Parties to the CBD, as well as the United States and the Vatican.

Targets of the GBF

The targets of the GBF include:

Protecting at least 30% of the world’s land, water, coastal, and marine areas
Restoring at least 30% of degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine ecosystems
Reducing or eliminating the loss of areas with high biodiversity importance
Cutting global food waste in half and reducing overconsumption and waste
Reducing the use of pesticides and hazardous chemicals by half
Phasing out or reforming subsidies that harm biodiversity by at least USD500 billion per year and scaling up incentives for conservation and sustainable use
Mobilizing at least USD200 billion per year in funding from all sources for biodiversity-related causes
Increasing international financial flows to developing countries to at least USD20 billion per year by 2025 and at least USD30 billion per year by 2030
Preventing the introduction of invasive species and reducing the establishment of other known or potential invasive species
Requiring large and transnational companies to disclose their risks and impacts on biodiversity

Four Overarching Goals of the GBF

The four overarching goals of the GBF include:

Maintaining, enhancing, or restoring the integrity, connectivity, and resilience of all ecosystems
Halting human-induced extinction of threatened species and reducing the extinction rate and risk of all species
Maintaining genetic diversity within populations of wild and domesticated species
Sustainably using and managing biodiversity and valuing nature’s contributions to people

Measuring Progress of the GBF

To ensure success, clear indicators have been set to measure progress and countries will be required to report on a large set of indicators related to their progress every five years or less. The CBD will combine national information submitted by countries into global trend and progress reports.

Timeline for Achieving GBF Targets

The targets of the GBF need to be achieved by 2030. The adoption of the GBF has been delayed by two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which leaves less time for countries to meet the targets.

Implementation and Funding of the GBF

To support the implementation of the GBF, the Global Environment Facility has been requested to establish a Special Trust Fund, and a multilateral fund for the equitable sharing of benefits between providers and users of digital sequence information on genetic resources will be established within the GBF.

GBF and Protection of the Planet

The GBF aims to protect at least 30% of the planet by 2030 and reverse ecosystem degradation.

GBF and Government Subsidies

As part of the GBF, countries have pledged to reduce harmful government subsidies worth USD500 billion annually and identify subsidies that are harmful to biodiversity by 2025.

GBF and India

The GBF gives India the opportunity to continue farm subsidies and pesticide use, which has been linked to the decline of pollinators such as bees, while also requiring the country to disclose the risks and impacts of these practices on biodiversity.

GBF and Pesticides

As part of the GBF, countries have committed to reducing the use of pesticides and hazardous chemicals by half by 2030. The use of pesticides has been linked to the decline of pollinators, such as bees, and can have negative impacts on human health.

GBF and Funding

The GBF aims to mobilize at least USD200 billion per year in funding from all sources for biodiversity-related causes. Additionally, the GBF calls for increasing international financial flows to developing countries to at least USD20 billion per year by 2025 and at least USD30 billion per year by 2030.

GBF and Invasive Species

The GBF aims to prevent the introduction of invasive species and reduce the establishment of other known or potential invasive species. Invasive species can have negative impacts on native ecosystems and biodiversity.

GBF and Large Companies

The GBF requires large and transnational companies to disclose their risks and impacts on biodiversity. This will help to increase transparency and accountability for the actions of these companies.

GBF and Valuing Nature’s Contributions to People

The GBF calls for sustainably using and managing biodiversity and valuing nature’s contributions to people. This includes recognizing the value of natural ecosystems, such as forests and oceans, and the services they provide, such as carbon sequestration and water purification.

Summary:

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is a set of targets adopted by the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that aims to address the loss of biodiversity and restore natural ecosystems by 2030. The GBF includes four goals and 23 targets and was agreed upon by representatives of 188 governments. To ensure success, clear indicators have been set to measure progress and countries will be required to report on their progress every five years or less. The GBF aims to protect at least 30% of the planet by 2030, reduce harmful government subsidies, reduce the use of pesticides and hazardous chemicals, prevent the introduction of invasive species, and require large and transnational companies to disclose their risks and impacts on biodiversity. The GBF also calls for sustainably using and managing biodiversity and valuing nature’s contributions to people. The targets of the GBF need to be achieved by 2030.

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