A COP15 is the equivalent of biodiversity to the UN climate change conference, which held its 27th edition in Egypt (COP27).
ADVERTISING
In order to reach an agreement at the end of the COP15, some critical points must be analyzed:
30% of the planet protected
Among the approximately 20 goals under debate, the main one is known as 30 by 30, which seeks to guarantee that 30% of lands and oceans remain under minimum legal protection by 2030. In the previous agreement, from 2010, this goal was 17 % and 10%, respectively.
The debate also includes the restoration of degraded lands, which could be equivalent to between 20% and 30%, that is, 1 billion hectares; reducing the circulation of invasive species and cutting the use of pesticides and fertilizers, which some countries want to reduce by half and has generated heated debates on the subject in Brazil and Argentina.
ADVERTISING
Rights of indigenous peoples
The territories of indigenous peoples are home to around 80% of the biodiversity remaining on Earth, according to UN climate experts. The role of these people has become a central theme in the negotiations, which is consensual in principle, but is far from being reflected in agreements.
After years of being marginalized and forced into displacement, even for conservation reasons, these communities demand free and informed consent to the establishment of protected areas.
And they want guarantees about the preservation of their rights and the recognition of their role in several of the objectives to be discussed.
ADVERTISING
Biopiracy
The lack of resolution of the issue of biopiracy, a recurring theme in UN negotiations, threatens the achievement of an agreement. Biopiracy is any and all exploitation of biodiversity and traditional knowledge illegally associated with it.
A large number of southern countries, led by South Africa, demand to receive benefits from biological resources that have allowed the manufacture of profitable medicines or cosmetic products in rich countries.
Financing
One topic that is projected to be complex is financing. Brazil, supported by 22 countries, called on rich countries to provide “at least US$100 billion per year until 2030” for developing countries to preserve the biodiversity, a value aligned with climate agreements.
ADVERTISING
On the other hand, northern countries are reluctant to create a new fund, whose management is considered complex and ineffective, and prefer a system of direct transfers.
(To AFP)
Read also
