What can be done?
Estimates based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ tell us that one million species are currently threatened with extinction, but modelling demonstrates it is not too late to reverse these trends.
Parties to the CBD must halt and reverse biodiversity loss to achieve a nature-positive world by 2030 for the benefit of the planet and people. Transformational change to humanity’s current way of living is vital, requiring decisive local and global action from all countries and all sectors of society.
Ahead of the next CBD meeting (COP16) in October 2024, Parties must revise National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), and set national targets that align with the GBF’s global targets according to the context and priorities of each country. For this, the status of biodiversity, the effectiveness or absence of existing policies, development needs, and the allocation of resources need to be considered. Governments must ensure that setting national targets is a participatory process, inclusive of those who are most affected by biodiversity loss and those who are most impacting biodiversity. Indeed, cities, sub-national governments, Indigenous peoples and local communities, industry, women, youth, farmers, civil society, and the private sector – all of society – should be engaged.
Parties must also finalise the monitoring framework, and governments can then include indicators in national plans. The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM and the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems are headline indicators in the monitoring framework and useful tools to assess the status of nature.
Protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures should now be expanded to cover at least 30% of the planet by 2030, while recognising the rights and roles of Indigenous peoples and local communities. The 30% must incorporate all areas of particular importance for biodiversity, including Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), with steps taken to ensure habitat connectivity. As the global standard for effective area-based conservation, the IUCN Green List can both support the achievement of this target and act as a simple indicator of progress.
Given the links between the climate and biodiversity crises, Parties should build concrete operational linkages across the three Rio Conventions on climate change, biodiversity conservation, and desertification at the national level to harness synergies and to ensure coordination and alignment in key national instruments under these processes, i.e. between the NBSAPs, the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets, and the NDCs of the Paris Agreement. For example, that could come through the use of nature-based solutions. The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions will help Parties ensure such projects are as effective as possible.
Other tools that can help measure progress and guide action include: the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT), the Global Species Action Plan, the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), the World Database on Protected Areas and the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric.