Some conservation scientists have warned that an international agreement to protect the environment is in jeopardy after negotiations stalled during international talks in Nairobi last week. They are asking world leaders to save the negotiations – and the biodiversity – on the brink. Some are very optimistic that, although progress is slow, an agreement will be reached by the end of the year. Negotiators from about 200 countries registered with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met in Nairobi from 21 to 26 June to present key details of the agreement, known as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. But the negotiations have made such little progress that many scientists are concerned that nations will not be able to conclude an agreement at the UN conference on biodiversity in Montreal, Canada, in December.
An important point to consider is how much money rich countries will provide in low-income countries. Failure to agree on a draft agenda – the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) – will seriously damage the environment, they said.“This is a huge opportunity missed and puts the framework at risk,” said Brian O’Donnell, director of Campaign for Nature in Washington DC, a coalition of non-governmental organizations and conservation organizations representing the Convention to Protect Biodiversity.
The framework contains 4 broad objectives, which include strengthening the extinction of species, and 21 objectives – many of which have capacity – such as protecting at least 30% of the land and sea. Without agreement, estimates suggest that a million species of plants and animals could become extinct in the next few decades as a result of climate change, disease, and human activities, among other things, that contribute to climate change. Researchers were relieved when the CBD announced earlier this month that COP15 would take place in Montreal instead of Kunming, China, where the closure of the SARS-CoV-2 disease control centers would have prevented the meeting. The COVID-19 epidemic has already delayed CBD meetings for two years, and threatened to disrupt the conference.
Some conservation groups point out that a number of countries have a significant responsibility for preventing development. Marco Lambertini, head of the conservation organization WWF International, based in Gland, Switzerland, said in a statement that “a small number of countries, Brazil first and foremost, are actively working to undermine negotiations”.Some participants in the conference spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms of their interviews were secret. They argued that Brazil had called for changes in the text to delay the process, and had argued over key issues.
Francis Ogwal, chairman of the draft negotiating team, acknowledged that the talks had not gone as planned. But he is encouraged by some of the progress he has made in achieving its goal of improving environmental access to urban areas and increasing scientific and technological capabilities in low-income countries. Ogwal hopes the countries will resolve some of the differences in an additional meeting scheduled a few days before COP15.“There is still a lot of disagreement. We have not yet reached the level we were expecting. But by December, we will have a good structure, ”Ogwal told reporters at a press conference on June 26.
Lack of leadership
But scientists and conservation groups say that political leadership is urgently needed to maintain order. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and heads of state that are members of the CBD, a group of eight organizations that support conservation and Indigenous rights said the lack of governance was holding back talks.
“There is a significant lack of high-level political dialogue, desire and leadership to drive consensus and direct and promote the necessary commitment,” the letter said.Some countries also claim to support biological dialogue. On June 26, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reassured Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of his support for the December conference in Montreal. The two were speaking ahead of the G7 summit in developed countries in Krün, Germany.In addition, other “heroic” countries including Costa Rica and Columbia have worked hard, especially in Nairobi to negotiate the deal, O’Donnell said.
Speaking on the condition of the disclosure not to offend the CBD, some criticized the structure and order of the Nairobi convention, saying it did not help the opposition to move forward. “The facilitators of the session were unable to monitor the discussions to reach an agreement,” they said. But despite the obstacles, some scientists still hope that the nations will reach an agreement. “Conversations tend to be more relaxed. There is even a growing sense of cooperation, ”said Juha Siikamäki, senior economist at the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Gland, who attended a Nairobi conference. Elizabeth Mrema, secretary general of the CBD, said countries should relax. He states: “Biodiversity is too important to fail.
Source Journal Reference: Natasha Gilbert, Scientists warn deal to save biodiversity is in jeopardy, nature News (2022), https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01805-w
