a NEW REPORT FROM WWF SHOWS WORLD LEADERS HAVE SO FAR COLLECTIVELY FAILED TO TRANSLATE MANY AMBITIOUS COMMITMENTS FOR NATURE INTO A GLOBAL PLAN THAT WILL SET NATURE ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY.

“Today’s catastrophic loss of nature is increasing our vulnerability to pandemics, exacerbating climate change, and threatening both livelihoods and the global economy. World leaders have promised to act to protect nature and people by securing an ambitious global biodiversity agreement, but our new analysis reveals that much more needs to be done for actions to match words - and urgently.”

Marco Lambertini

Director General, WWF International

A ONCE-IN-A-DECADE OPPORTUNITY

In 2022, world leaders are scheduled to adopt a post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework at the UN Biodiversity talks (CBD COP15) in Kunming, China.

This framework presents a once-in-a-decade opportunity to secure an ambitious and transformative global biodiversity agreement that sets nature on the path to recovery, in support of climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Over the last two years, world leaders and governments have made many commitments signaling their intention to step up to the challenge of nature loss. This is a positive step forward. For example, the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature commits endorsers to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 for sustainable development, and several other documents like the G7 Nature Compact, G20 Leaders Communiqué and the Kunming Declaration. However more must be done globally to protect people and the planet for future generations.

The Global Biodiversity Framework must be ambitious and transformative

WWF’s new report, ‘Bridging the Gap: Translating political commitments into an ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework’ evaluates the first draft of the Global Biodiversity Framework against several recent collective commitments.

The analysis finds that the first draft of the Global Biodiversity Framework falls far short of the highest ambition to which governments have already committed. The paper identifies nine areas below in which the framework should be strengthened to reflect these higher ambitions committed by parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

These nine areas are:

Increasing the overall objective to “halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030” to secure a nature positive world

Securing a milestone/outcome to halt human induced extinction of species from 2022 (i.e. immediately) and increase species abundance by 2030

Including an outcome to halve the footprint of production and consumption by 2030.

Securing references to nature-based solutions in the text to complement current mentions of ecosystem based approaches, with Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ rights at the heart

Committing to reform financial systems, including through ending or repurposing all harmful incentives and aligning public and private financial flows to be nature positive

Including explicit recognition of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) and the importance of attaining their free, prior and informed consent, including in area based conservation efforts

Ensuring a rights-based approach, including gender equality, is at the core of the GBF and its implementation

Including a strong planning, monitoring, reporting and review mechanism, essential to avoid a repeat of the failure to deliver on the Aichi targets and allow a ratcheting up of action over time

Forging a closer alignment with other multilateral environmental agreements and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

DOWNLOAD THE BRIDGING THE GAP REPORT

READ THE PRESS RELEASE

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Bridging the Gap

Countries must step up action for a nature-positive world