The Biodiversity COP16 ends with no concrete outcome to stop biodiversity loss
06 Nov 2024
Will the Climate COP29 in Azerbaijan be able to send a strong signal to the world?
As Slow Food, we followed the negotiations and actively participated in organizing two events in the Green Zone dedicated to civil society.
While we can celebrate some wins, such as the recognition of the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity protection, we are concerned about the lack of progress on key issues such as the set-up of a new fund to tackle the biodiversity crisis. . This disappointingly reveals ì that governments were unwilling to take meaningful action to protect biodiversity and preserve the planet for future generations.
We have attempted to summarize the few positive and several negative points, looking forward with hope to the upcoming Climate COP29 in Azerbaijan hoping that the decisions taken will not negatively affect biodiversity.
COP16 had some positive aspects:
- As emphasized by AFSA, agroecology is gaining momentum not just in niche conversations but on the global biodiversity stage. We reaffirm what farmers, Indigenous communities, and food sovereignty advocates have long known—agroecology is not only a method of growing food but a path to healing ecosystems, reclaiming food sovereignty, and building resilient communities.
- Countries approved a new permanent body for Indigenous peoples, allowing them to directly contribute their perspectives at biodiversity COPs for the first time.
- Regarding the equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resource sequencing (DSI), corporations and companies using these resources agreed to make voluntary contributions to a global fund called the “Cali Fund.” Half of the funds raised will go directly to Indigenous peoples and local communities.
- The conference brought together representatives from around the world, including 115 ministers and 170 official delegations in the “Blue Zone,” along with more than 900,000 participants in the “Green Zone,” where various organizations gathered to discuss biodiversity protection, exchange knowledge, and share societal experiences.
On the other hand, COP16 revealed some negative trends:
- The CBD has shifted from an earth-centered treaty to a business-driven marketplace. Biodiversity, which should be sacred, is increasingly treated as an economic asset—open for trade, owned by corporations, and removed from the stewardship of Indigenous communities who have protected these ecosystems for generations, as highlighted in numerous articles.
- Agreement was not reached on securing the resources necessary for biodiversity protection and on the mechanism for measuring countries’ conservation progress. Due to lack of quorum, the plenary session was suspended, and decisions on these points were postponed to 2025. The lack of an approved monitoring mechanism limits the ability to measure progress on the agreed goals. Developing countries with limited resources face significant challenges in implementing effective conservation measures, therefore the approval of the monitoring mechanism was blocked pending the approval of the fund.
- Only 44 out of the 196 Parties (22%) that adopted the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) submitted their action plans (NBSAPs), which are essential for translating commitments into action and tracking progress.
- A specific biodiversity fund under the Conference of the Parties’ mandate was requested, as many countries have been unable to access the Global Environment Facility (GEF). However, consensus among northern countries was not reached, blocking its approval.
- Although the Cali Fund was created for benefit-sharing from digital sequencing of genetic resources, contributions to this fund by corporations remain voluntary and minimal, allowing companies to contribute either 1% of profits or 0.1% of revenue.
- While the Green Zone provided spaces for communities and organizations to raise their voices, there was no structured connection to ensure that these voices reached the Blue Zone, where negotiations were taking place.
Change the world through food
Learn how you can restore ecosystems, communities and your own health with our RegenerAction Toolkit.