Dossier thématique

Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

  • Despite previous policies and actions to support biodiversity, the drivers of biodiversity loss have worsened and biodiversity continues to decline.
  • Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity have therefore adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework as a global strategy to safeguard nature.
  • The GBF must be implemented ambitiously to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.
  • Governments must halt and reverse biodiversity loss to achieve a nature-positive world by 2030, which requires investment of at least USD 200 billion per year.

October 2024

A prior Issues Brief on the Global Biodiversity Framework can be found here.

What is the issue?

In December 2022, Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Despite policies and actions to support biodiversity in the past, biodiversity continues to decline. At the global level, none of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets agreed to by Parties to the CBD in 2010 were achieved.

The last global report on progress suggests there were gaps in the ambition and commitment of countries to address nature loss and that national plans were generally poorly aligned to the Aichi Targets and insufficient to meet them.

The GBF builds on the previous Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, setting four major goals for 2050 and 23 action targets for 2030.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

Why is this important?

The degradation of ecosystems and decline of biodiversity threaten the natural processes which protect human health and provide clean air, water and food. Healthy ecosystems are also vitally important for effective and sustainable climate action.

Implementing the GBF will reverse the loss of nature on a global scale, protect and restore ecosystems, and safeguard the benefits that nature provides to people. For example, healthy ecosystems support 55% of global GDP and contribute to global climate change mitigation needed by 2050 to achieve the 1.5°C goal as per the Paris Agreement.

Beyond safeguarding nature benefits, the GBF also aims to ensure that these benefits are fairly and equitably shared, recognising the crucial role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in biodiversity conservation and promoting their full and effective participation in its implementation and monitoring. The GBF also includes provisions for gender equality and ensuring that conservation efforts do not exacerbate inequalities or marginalise vulnerable communities and developing countries.

Implementing the GBF is therefore essential to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.

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.

IUCN

Additional investment in nature is urgently needed for the GBF to succeed. Private, public and philanthropic finance must be increased to at least USD 200 billion per year, including via the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. But other means of implementation are equally crucial, like building and developing capacity in developing countries, as well as the transfer of scientific and technical knowledge and technology.

The conservation community should raise the awareness of all governments and all stakeholders on the urgency to act. Active implementation of the GBF is the key to halt further biodiversity loss and achieve the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.

Where can I get more information?

IUCN statement on the GBF’s adoption.

IUCN’s engagement with the CBD and the GBF.

IUCN Resolution 7.116 and Resolution 7.125.