Nature and biodiversity at COP28

The plenum was willing to spend quite precisely 1.5 hours on nature before going back to focus on money for the climate loss fund, BUT was not all bad…

I have the feeling that it is not yet understood by the political elite that if nature is not taken more seriously as an actor in the solution, we will not reach our goals. Nature-based solutions (NBS) is the sustainable management and use of natural features and processes to tackle socio-environmental issues.

I joined digitally on Dec. 9. It was not possible for the high-eyed delegates could hide their lack of willingness to spend time discussing nature. (Most likely because nature had its own COP15 last year, where there was a breakthrough. Although the protection of nature is something other than using nature as a tool to store CO2, this has not been achieved.)

It is impossible to emphasize enough the importance of debating nature used as leverage in the climate fight. Fortunately, 18 countries, including the United States, agree. They have signed an agreement among themselves and plan to move forward.

https://www.cop28.com/en/joint-statement-on-climate-nature

“In this year of the first Global Stocktake, and on the occasion of convening at COP28 during Nature, Land Use and Ocean Day, we affirm that there is no path to fully achieve the near- and long-term goals of the Paris Agreement or the 2030 goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework without urgently addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation together in a coherent, synergetic and holistic manner, in accordance with the best available science.

In striving to achieve these goals in an integrated manner, we therefore affirm our commitment to strengthen our respective and shared efforts, including through voluntary partnerships, initiatives and coalitions, and in accordance with the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to work collaboratively and expeditiously to pursue the following common objectives:”

And “We will meet regularly to demonstrate and review our collective progress under this grouping of voluntary partnerships, initiatives and coalitions, and convene further high-level meetings, with the allowance of additional partnerships, initiatives and coalitions, at future UN Climate Change and UN Biodiversity Conferences.”

I really hope that the USA chooses to become a prime mover for these 18 countries and that they create wonders in the coming year, then hopefully a few more will hang on. Because no matter how optimistic I want to be, 18 countries is a low number, when it could have been closer to 200.

So perhaps our hope for nature lies more in that one of the Signatory Presidencies was the People’s Republic of China. Together with the United States, they sign for a great many people. Anyway, it is a start.