The Essence of the Kunming Montreal Agreement

The UN CBD saw representatives from 188 governments, including two non-parties – the United States & the Vatican, agree on a new framework aimed at arresting the alarming and continuous loss of biological species. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) lays down four goals for 2050 and 23 objectives for 2030, all aimed at preserving existing biodiversity. The GBF has an ambitious aim of protecting a minimum of 30% of the planet by 2030 and reversing ecosystem degradation.

• The Kunming Montreal GBF is a replacement for the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. In 2010 at COP 10 in Nagoya, Japan, governments had set out to meet 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020, which included halving natural habitat loss and implementing plans for sustainable consumption and production. However, as per the 2020 CBD report, none of these targets were fully met.
• Most Asian countries have failed to meet the global minimum target of protecting at least 17% of land by 2020 (based on data from 40 countries).

Also read: Nagoya Protocol

Key Features of the Kunming Montreal Agreement

Conservation, Protection & Restoration

• The agreement saw delegates commit to protecting 30% of land and 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2020, marking the largest land and ocean conservation commitment in history, known as ’30 by 30′.
• The agreement also has an aim to restore 30% of degraded lands and waters throughout the decade, a significant increase from an earlier target of 20%.
• Additionally, the world will strive to prevent the destruction of intact landscapes and areas with a high density of species, aiming to bring these losses “close to zero” by 2030.

Global Biodiversity Fund

• The agreement recognizes the need to establish a “dedicated and accessible” Global Biodiversity Fund in 2023, to support developing nations in financing biodiversity protection.
• The agreement seeks to increase international financial flows from developed nations to developing countries, particularly least developed countries, Small Island Developing States , and countries with economies in transition. The goal is to raise funding to at least $20 billion per year by 2025, and to at least $30 billion per year by 2030.

Government Subsidies

• Countries have committed to identifying subsidies that harm biodiversity by 2025 and then, eliminating, phasing out or reforming them.
• Countries agreed to reduce such incentives by at least $500 billion a year by 2030, and increase incentives that are positive for conservation.

Other targets include:

• Requiring transnational companies and financial institutions to monitor, assess, and transparently disclose risks and impacts on biodiversity through their operations, portfolios, supply and value chains.
• Reducing the use of pesticides and hazardous chemicals by at least half by 2030 and shifting focus towards other forms of pest management.
• Halving global food waste.
• Reducing the introduction of invasive alien species by at least by half by 2030.

Countries also approved a series of related agreements to implement the GBF, including on planning, monitoring, reporting and review, which are all vital to ensure progress is made.

The next biodiversity summit will take place in 2024 and is expected to see countries strengthen financial commitments towards halting biodiversity loss.