In high-stakes UN biodiversity negotiations, high-ranking officials have expressed optimism about securing a significant agreement to prevent the destruction of the natural world.
Observers had warned that disagreements over how much the rich world should pay to save ecosystems in developing countries could cause the COP15 talks, which were meant to conclude with a “peace pact for nature,” to fail.
However, on Saturday, the Chinese chair of the conference stated that he was “greatly confident” that the delegates would come to an agreement, and his Canadian counterpart stated that “tremendous progress” had been made.
In Montreal, where the COP15 meeting is taking place, China’s Environment Minister Huang Runqiu told reporters, “I am greatly confident that we can… keep our ambitions as well as achieve consensus.”
Steven Guilbeault, his Canadian counterpart, echoed his statement, saying: We’ve made a tremendous amount of progress; I’m not sure how many of us thought we could reach that point.
In a tweet, French President Emmanuel Macron said: My message to our partners is as follows, just a few days before the Montreal COP 15 Biodiversity Conference concludes: Now is not the time for insignificant choices; let’s make big ones!
“Let’s collaborate to reach the most ambitious agreement that we can. It is essential to the entire world.”
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The talks officially end on December 19, but they could last longer if necessary.
The goal of the text is to provide nations with a road map through 2030.
The most recent 10-year plan, endorsed in Japan in 2010, neglected to accomplish any of its targets, a disappointment accused generally on its absence of checking systems.
A fundamental commitment to safeguard 30 percent of the world’s land and oceans by 2030 is now included in major draft goals.
The Paris Agreement’s commitment to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius or less over time is being compared to this ambitious goal.
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Biggest sticking point
Reducing farming subsidies that harm the environment, requiring businesses to evaluate and report on their impacts on biodiversity, and combating the scourge of invasive species are among the more than 20 goals under discussion.
Delegates of Native people group, who protect 80% of the world’s leftover biodiversity, need their freedoms to rehearse stewardship of their territories to be revered in the last arrangement.
The most contentious issue has emerged as the amount of money rich nations, collectively referred to as the Global North, will send to the Global South, which is home to most of the world’s biodiversity.
According to developing nations, the South should be compensated to preserve its ecosystems because developed nations grew rich by exploiting their resources.
Several nations have recently or at the COP made new commitments, with Europe emerging as a key leader.
The European Union has pledged $7.4 billion for the period from 2027 to the present, doubling its previous commitment.
However, these commitments still fall far short of what developing nations want and what observers call for.
Brazil has taken the lead in this movement, proposing annual flows of $100 billion as opposed to the current roughly $10 billion.
It is still up for debate whether international aid is provided through a new fund, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), or a halfway solution involving a new “trust fund” within the GEF.
Over 3,000 scientists have written an open letter to policymakers in an effort to stop the devastation of vital ecosystems right away.
They stated, “We owe this to ourselves and the generations to come — we can’t wait any longer.”
There is also the issue of self-interest, which goes beyond the moral implications: Nature and the services it provides are the source of $44 trillion in economic value, or more than half of the world’s GDP.
Source: AFP
