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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/31/alarm-grows-over-disturbing-lack-of-progress-revealed-at-biodiversity-summit-cop16>
"Governments risk another decade of failure on biodiversity loss, due to the
slow implementation of an international agreement to halt the destruction of
Earth’s ecosystems, experts have warned.
Less than two years ago, the world reached a historic agreement at the Cop15
summit in Montreal to stop the human-caused destruction of life on our planet.
The deal included targets to protect 30% of the planet for nature by the end of
the decade (30x30), reform $500bn (then £410bn) of environmentally damaging
subsidies, and begin restoring 30% of the planet’s degraded ecosystems.
But as country representatives dig into their second week of negotiations at
Cop16 in Cali, Colombia – their first meeting since Montreal – alarm is growing
at the lack of concrete progress on any of the major targets they agreed upon.
An increasing number of indicators show that governments are not on track. They
still need to protect an area of land equivalent to the combined size of Brazil
and Australia, and an expanse of sea larger than the Indian Ocean to meet the
headline 30x30 target, according to a new UN report.
Weak progress on funding for nature and almost no progress on subsidy reform
have also frustrated observers. At the time of publication, 158 countries are
yet to submit formal plans on how they are going to meet the targets, according
to Carbon Brief, missing their deadline this month ahead of the biodiversity
summit in Cali, where governments are not likely to set a new deadline.
“Progress has been too slow. I think political prioritisation of nature is
still too low. This is reflected by progress on the targets. Several target are
very easy to measure: 30x30 has metrics on area and quality, finance has a
dollar figure. We have new data on both that show we’re not on pace,” said
Brian O’Donnell, director of the Campaign for Nature.
“This is a moment to demonstrate seriousness and build trust. On finance
especially, it’s been disturbing at times to go to parties to ask for their
path forward for finance and be treated as if we are asking for something new
or unrealistic, as opposed to what they just agreed two years ago. To me, that
is a reflection of not a true commitment to this,” he said.
The world has never met a target to stem the destruction of wildlife and
life-sustaining ecosystems. Amid growing scientific warnings about the state of
life on Earth, there has been a major push to make sure this decade is
different, and that governments comply with targets designed to prevent
wildlife extinctions, such as cuts to pesticides use and pollution.
Leading figures in conservation and science have raised concerns about the
progress governments are making towards the targets in Cali. Martin Harper, CEO
of Birdlife International, said meaningful action on commitments was vital.
“We cannot accept inaction as the new normal. This means more action to bolster
efforts to recover threatened species, to protect and restore more land, fresh
water and sea, and to transform our food, energy and industrial systems. We
have five years to raise hundreds of billions of dollars. If we don’t see it
materialise, I dread to think where we will be in 2030,” he said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
