Blue carbon ecosystems such as seagrass, mangroves and salt marshes store carbon and are crucial to climate change mitigation and adaptation. They also provide other economic and social benefits for people. These ecosystems are very vulnerable to and threatened by human activities.Governments and other actors should place focus on the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems.
COP16 reaffirmed the goal to protect 30% of the world’s land and seas by 2030. However, the first official progress report which was released at COP16 also revealed significant gaps, showing that only 17% of land and 8% of marine areas are currently protected. Financial shortfalls persist, with a $700 billion annual funding gap for biodiversity conservation. Indigenous communities' leadership was acknowledged, but implementing promises and addressing unresolved political conflicts remain crucial as the summit’s second part approaches.
Other Effective Conservation Methods (OECMs) are sites that effectively conserve biodiversity even if biodiversity conservation isn’t their primary purpose. They differ from protected areas which are established specifically for biodiversity conservation, whilst OECMs don’t require conservation as the main goal. OECMs have the potential to help achieve effective and equitable conservation, though concerns remain regarding their implementation.
Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity due to rising global temperatures, posing a significant threat to climate, biodiversity, and society. Wildfires not only contribute to climate change but also disrupt ecosystems, leading to biodiversity loss and detrimental effects on human health and economies. Effective policy interventions are needed to manage wildfires, mitigate their causes, and reduce their impact on communities and ecosystems.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are an umbrella term that involves using nature to address societal problems as well as create benefits for biodiversity and climate action. NbS have gained traction in international policy in recent years as a form of climate action being mentioned in various COPs. There is potential for NbS to combat the biodiversity and climate crises, however, the site-specific nature of NbS, makes it difficult to generalise and compare with other alternatives.
In addition to food production, modern agriculture must provide ecosystem services such as water quality, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and nutrient cycling. Agroforestry provides ecosystem services by managing trees together with annual crops or pasture lands. A paradigm shift toward agroforestry comes with opportunities for technology, diversification, and employment in agriculture.
There has been a historic lack of incentive to protect the boreal forests, and as such little attention has been given to their preservation. Canadian advocates have called to halt clear-cutting of primary forests, and give the indigenous communities the power to manage the forests directly. The potential for national or even international regulation exists, but only if the importance of the boreal forests is recognised and incentives altered accordingly.
Marine ecosystems and habitats are at the precipice of severe loss of life as we know it. Human intervention has enabled irreversible damage, which comes back to our standards of living. Indigenous communities are at the forefront of the consequences, and need safeguarding now more than ever.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is the first set of biodiversity targets in over a decade, setting ambitious goals for the 2020s. Particular milestones are the commitment to protecting 30% of all land areas and ocean territories as well as focusing on consulting, valuing, and protecting indigenous stewards. Criticism includes its non-binding legal nature, previous failures to commit, and a Western approach to conservation which might threaten indigenous autonomy.
CBD COP15 was highly anticipated by those within the conservation sector and the emerging nature-based solutions industry. On the agenda were several discussions on pollinator protection, agricultural practices, forestry, and marine spaces — but the biggest item was an ambitious plan to protect 30% of the world’s natural areas by 2030.