The EESC at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity - COP16

As in previous years, the EESC actively participated in the COP16 to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which took place from 21 October to 1 November 2024 in Cali, Colombia.

Under the theme 'Peace with Nature', COP16 was the first CBD COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at COP15 in December 2022 in Montreal, Canada.

At COP16, governments were tasked with preparing to review the state of implementation of the GBF, as at COP17, Parties to the Convention are expected to show the alignment of their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with the Framework.

For this reason, COP16 was supposed to further develop the monitoring framework and advance resource mobilisation for the GBF. Among other tasks, COP16 was also due to finalise and operationalise the multilateral mechanism on the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence information (DSI) of genetic resources.

The EESC participated with a delegation of one member, Mr Arnaud Schwartz, from 26 October to 2 November 2024. As part of the EU delegation, the EESC engaged in meaningful discussions, bilateral meetings, and side events to call for greater synergies between the CBD and UNFCCC processes, the phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies as a means of mobilising more financial resources, and a more active role for organised civil society in the implementation of the GBF. More generally, the messages that the EESC brought to COP16 were built on the opinion A comprehensive strategy for biodiversity at COP16: bringing all sectors together for a common goal, adopted in September 2024.

In particular, the EESC organised two side events in the EU pavilion:

• Mainstreaming biodiversity in climate action: the role of nature-based solutions
  27 October 2024, 17:30-19:00 (GMT-5)
  Coorganised with IUCN and CoR
  Recording available here
• Towards a circular economy in harmony with nature
  1 November 2024, 13:15-14:45 (GMT-5)
  Coorganised with ECESP, IUCN and EMF
  Recording available here

🤔COP16 - Key outcomes and what is next?

COP16 succeeded in placing biodiversity almost at the same level as decarbonisation and climate change, and consolidated the People's COP with over 900,000 people visiting the COP16 Green Zone. It also resulted in a global agreement to identify and conserve marine areas of high ecological importance in international waters, strengthening global governance over the oceans, and the creation of a permanent body for indigenous peoples and local communities, recognising their role as custodians of biodiversity.

However, much remains to be done in terms of financial mobilisation. Despite the creation of the Cali Fund, designed to collect economic resources derived from the use of DSI of genetic resources, Parties have not reached agreement on how to guarantee the fund's operation, viability and effectiveness. Similarly, Parties did not come to an agreement on how to structure the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) needed to close the financial biodiversity gap and meet target 19 of the GBF: to mobilise $200 billion per year for biodiversity from all sources, including $30 billion through international finance.

As the implementation of financial solutions seems to be the biggest challenge for the UNFCCC and CBD processes, the EESC will continue to advocate for a more sustainable global financial architecture and for the redirection of public money towards sustainable practices and nature-based solutions.