Negotiations are reaching a critical stage in view of the adoption of a transformative and comprehensive post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 15). The second part of the Open Ended Working Group 3 (OEWG-3) taking place in Geneva between 13-29 March 2022 appears as the right time to reflect on the approaches for transformative change in the implementation of the different GBF drafts.
This has been an ideal opportunity to take stock of the key transformative approaches identified by the project over the past three years of negotiation and enrich them with fresh ideas from all stakeholders.
This side event has facilitated the discussions as to the most efficient ways forward in fostering ownership of transformative policy measures, casting an inclusive, concrete look at the main challenges and avenues for progress. It has also provided an opportunity to collect specific capacity-building needs expressed by stakeholders. These findings will feed in the design of relevant capacity-building activities across the upcoming development of the Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework – EU Support project.
Moderated by Hugo Rivera Mendoza, the Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework-EU support Team Leader, high level speakers called for the development of a strong mission clear, measurable and unifying mission for the GBF, but also for the diversification and local rooting of its implementation.
Marco Lambertini for WWF International highlighted how the P2 Partnership has been the spearhead to bring two ingredients together: “The two not-so-secret ingredients in a recipe for success are a unity of narrative around a common goal, and the broadening & deepening of civil society, business and finance sector voices for nature. This is all bringing us a step closer to a nature-positive world.”
Ameyali Ramos for ICCA Consortium later completed: “Increase support for indigenous people and local communities to nurture their own relationships with territories, self-organize and strengthen their own governance systems and secure their collective rights.”
Pushing for a renewed vision and meaning, they called for further reconciliation among stakeholders and inclusiveness of our thought.
Eva Zabey for Business for Nature, gave an account of business mobilization for biodiversity: “A transformative ambitious and actionable GBF will help scale and speed up business action. It will strengthen the shared responsibility we all have of our impacts and dependencies on the planet and each other.”
Spelling out the lack of regulations and the need to address environmentally harmful subsidies currently estimated at 1,8 trillion dollars per year as the elephant in the room, they highlighted the need to push disclosure and transparency first, and then carry out the change at the local level.
Melina Sakiyama for GYBN (Global Youth Biodiversity Network) presented her “five ingredients for a true systemic wide transformative change: 1/ Recognizing complexity; 2/ Seeing the invisible; 3/ Going back to principles; 4/ Thinking collective; and 5/ Finding a way for reconciliation.”
Subnational and Local Governments (SLNGs) were casted as the very yeast of a successful GBF implementation recipe as they stand at the frontline of the GBF and have impact on multiple GBF targets.
Announcing the launch of the Cities Action platform this week to track progress against SLNGs commitments, Ingrid Coetzee for ICLEI CBC called for their integration in the reporting making LBSAPs fit in NBSAPs to make sure that SNLGs’ impacts on nature are positive: “SNLGs are ready to take up the challenge and support Parties implement the GBF but need capacity, technology and knowledge transfer, and access to information to support them. Through collective action & a whole of government approach we can make a difference.”
For Pauline Teillac-Deschamps, Coordinator of the BIODEV2030 project implemented by Expertise France, “Raising awareness of the cost of inaction and illustrating the business benefits of biodiversity conservation is the first step for biodiversity mainstreaming.”
Hugo Rivera Mendoza, Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework – EU Support, wrapped up our side event: “Our amazing panelists and over 100 participants reflected on how to create a common but diverse vision for the GBF and the transformative actions to implement it.”
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, gave some concluding remarks: “All stakeholders are ready to be heard and calling the post-2020 process to take their contributions on into a framework that helps us all move forward.”
Watch the replay:
Also read more here on our workshop co-organized with EU commission on transformative change in June 2020.
Read our relevant 4-pagers:
