OUTCOMES OF THE COP15 UN BIODIVERSITY NEGOTIATIONS
15th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
7-19 December 2022 Montreal, Canada

Introduction
During the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties, signatories to the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) adopted the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” (GBF), which
includes an ambitious new set of global biodiversity Goals and Targets, monitoring framework,
strategy for resource mobilization and a mechanism for implementation. The GBF now sets the global
direction of action and funding until the end of this decade, with the aim of halting and reversing
the loss of biodiversity by 2030 and living in harmony with nature by 2050.
After four years of effort, including substantial COVID-19-related delays, the GBF was successfully
agreed under the leadership of the COP Presidency, held by the Government of China. The GBF was
negotiated as a package, the components of which are detailed below.

The Global Biodiversity Framework Package
1. 4 Global Goals: The framework has four long-term Goals towards achievement of the2050 Vision for Biodiversity.
2. 23 Targets: The framework has 23 action-oriented Targets for urgent action over the
decade to 2030. The actions set out in each Target need to be initiated immediately andcompleted by 2030. Together, the results will enable achievement towards the outcomeoriented Goals for 2050.
3. Resource Mobilization: Resource mobilization discussions resulted in a decision to createa Special Trust Fund for biodiversity, agreement for countries to create national financeplans, development of the first phase of a Resource Mobilization strategy (2023-2024).
4. Monitoring Framework: A Monitoring Framework was adopted that includes a set ofhigh-level ‘headline indicators,’ which capture the overall scope of the Goals and Targetsof the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. They are nationally, regionally, and globally
relevant indicators validated by countries. An ad-hoc technical advisory group wasestablished to refine the monitoring framework prior to COP16.
5. Implementation Mechanism: National biodiversity strategies and action plans(NBSAPs), revised or updated in alignment with the GBF will be the main vehicle for
implementation. National targets will be communicated in a standardized format by COP16(2024), and national reports submitted in 2026 and 2029, including the headline indicators.
6. Digital sequence information: Parties agreed to establish a multilateral fund under the
Global Environment Facility (GEF) for the equitable sharing of benefits from digital
sequence information on genetic resources, to be finalized at COP16 in 2024.

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Mission and Vision
2050 Vision: A world of living in harmony with nature where: “By 2050, biodiversity is valued,
conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet
and delivering benefits essential for all people.”2030 Mission: To take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to put nature on a path
to recovery for the benefit of people and planet by conserving and sustainably using biodiversity andensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources, while providing
the necessary means of implementation.

Analysis
The inclusion of the mission grounds in the entire GBF in the effort to halt and reverse biodiversity
loss by 2030, sending a strong nature-positive message equivalent to net zero and 1.5C for climate.

Goal AThe integrity, connectivity and resilience of all ecosystems are maintained, enhanced, or restored,
substantially increasing the area of natural ecosystems by 2050;
Human induced extinction of known threatened species is halted, and, by 2050, extinction rate andrisk of all species are reduced tenfold and the abundance of native wild species is increased tohealthy and resilient levels;
The genetic diversity within populations of wild and domesticated species, is maintained,
safeguarding their adaptive potential.

Analysis
Goal A focuses on increasing the area of natural ecosystems, which is essential to reverse nature
loss, and this Goal sets the ambition for global conservation towards halting and reversing
biodiversity loss over the next three decades. Scientists agree that at least a 20% reduction in
extinction risk by 2030 is the required trajectory to eliminate extinction risk by 2050 and achieve the2050 Vision of living in harmony with nature. Both Aichi Target 12 and SDG 15.5 commit
governments to prevent extinction of threatened species by 2020, ambition that is not reflected inthis Goal, which only requires extinctions to be reduced “tenfold” by 2050. Goal A also lacks 2030
milestones towards its achievement, reducing accountability and transparency for ensuring we stayon track to meet the shared ambition. While this Goal fall shorts in relation the Aichi Targets andSDGs, the inclusion of connectivity, integrity and resilience of ecosystems is important.

Goal B
Biodiversity is sustainably used and managed and nature’s contributions to people, including
ecosystem functions and services, are valued, maintained and enhanced, with those currently indecline being restored, supporting the achievement of sustainable development for the benefit ofpresent and future generations by 2050.

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Analysis
Goal B is tied to the idea of sustainably using biodiversity for the benefit of life on earth. Goal B
updates and replaces Aichi Goal D, “Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystemservices.” The recognition of nature’s role in meeting human needs in this Goal is important for
ensuring that we conserve and sustainably manage the places most important for the well-being of
humans now and in the future, including for climate, food, and water. The lack of a quantitative
element makes this Goal challenging to monitor, but the objective to achieve sustainable
development for the benefit of present and future generations is productive. This Goal could havebeen stronger if it had recognized that a variety of actions (protect/conserve, manage and restore)
are needed to ensure nature’s contributions to people are sustained for the long-term.

Goal CThe monetary and non-monetary benefits from the utilization of genetic resources, and digital
sequence information on genetic resources, and of traditional knowledge associated with genetic
resources, as applicable, are shared fairly and equitably, including, as appropriate with indigenous
peoples and local communities, and substantially increased by 2050, while ensuring traditional
knowledge associated with genetic resources is appropriately protected, thereby contributing to theconservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, in accordance with internationally agreed accessand benefit-sharing instruments.

Analysis
Goal C is focused on the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization ofgenetic resources. This Goal is particularly strong in that it includes recognition of and protections
for the contribution of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources. While this Goal could
have been stronger by including the contribution of women’s traditional knowledge to deriving
benefits from genetic resources, and with a direct reference to the need for Free, Prior and Informed
Consent, these concepts are well covered in other parts of the GBF. This Goal has linkages to theagreed decision on digital sequence information on genetic resources.

Goal D
Adequate means of implementation, including financial resources, capacity-building, technical andscientific cooperation, and access to and transfer of technology to fully implement the KunmingMontreal global biodiversity framework are secured and equitably accessible to all Parties, especiallydeveloping countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States,
as well as countries with economies in transition, progressively closing the biodiversity finance gapof 700 billion dollars per year, and aligning financial flows with the Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework and the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity.

Analysis
Goal D details the elements, financial and otherwise, needed to ensure that the entire GBF can beadequately implemented. This was one of the key hurdles that impacted the achievement of the
Aichi Targets during the last decade. Most importantly it recognizes the magnitude of the biodiversity
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funding gap and directly lays out the need to close the USD700 Billion/year biodiversity funding gap
and align all financial flows with the GBF.

Target 1
Ensure that all areas are under participatory integrated biodiversity inclusive spatial planning and/or
effective management processes addressing land and sea use change, to bring the loss of areas ofhigh biodiversity importance, including ecosystems of high ecological integrity, close to zero by 2030,
while respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities

Analysis
Conducting integrated biodiversity inclusive spatial planning and addressing land- and sea-use
change in all areas is essential to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Spatial data and tools can provide
critical support to this Target and across many other GBF Targets by indicating where to act. Accessto accurate spatial data can facilitate the identification of high biodiversity importance, including
areas of high ecological integrity.
Recent scientific advances have produced maps of the global distribution of ecosystems providing
services related to water quality regulation, food provision, timber and fuel production, flood
regulation and coastal risk reduction, and access to marine and terrestrial areas for recreation. These
tools will be crucial for efficient and effective implementation. This Target also recognizes Indigenous
peoples and local communities' (IPLCs) rights, which is an important element to guarantee thatspatial planning processes are participatory and inclusive.

Target 2
Ensure that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of areas of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and coastal
and marine ecosystems are under effective restoration, in order to enhance biodiversity andecosystem functions and services, ecological integrity and connectivity.

Analysis
A 30% global Target for restoring degraded terrestrial, inland and coastal and marine areas isessential for improving the state of biodiversity, for maintaining nature's contributions to people andfor creating a nature positive world by 2030. Restoration is also an important component of nature’s
potential to contribute to climate mitigation. It is positive to see the focus on ensuring that
restoration efforts should contribute to enhancing ecological integrity and connectivity within andamong ecosystems, both of which are important for sustaining healthy and diverse ecosystems.
The agreement of a global restoration Target will give extra momentum to existing efforts to increase
restoration at scale, such as the Bonn Challenge and others. However, the lack recognition ofequitable and rights-based governance makes it more difficult to avoid restoration measures thatare harmful for IPLCs.

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Target 3
Ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal andmarine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions andservices, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected
and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation
measures, recognizing indigenous and traditional territories, where applicable, and integrated into
wider landscapes, seascapes and the ocean, while ensuring that any sustainable use, whereappropriate in such areas, is fully consistent with conservation outcomes, recognizing and respecting
the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including over their traditional territories.

Analysis
Area-based conservation has been at the heart of conservation efforts worldwide and the 30 by 30
Target was one of the more well-known parts of the overall GBF negotiation process over the past
three years. The Target seeks to ensure that 30% of terrestrial and inland waters and 30% of coastal
and marine areas are conserved by 2030. Indigenous peoples’ traditional territories were recognizedas part of the scope of this Target.
While the Target of 30% is a clear improvement over the 17% (land) and 10% (marine) in Aichi
Target 11, from an ambition standpoint, issues related to what this percentage will include are key
to understanding the impact on biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services to people. If,
for example, countries opt to recategorize existing areas as other effective area-based conservation
measures (OECMs) without ensuring that actual long-term conservation outcomes are improved, thisTarget could potentially be reached without real benefit, a concern that will need to be safe-guarded
against during review of implementation and effective monitoring.

Target 4
Ensure urgent management actions to halt human induced extinction of known threatened species
and for the recovery and conservation of species, in particular threatened species, to significantly
reduce extinction risk, as well as to maintain and restore the genetic diversity within and between
populations of native, wild and domesticated species to maintain their adaptive potential, including
through in situ and ex situ conservation and sustainable management practices, and effectively
manage human-wildlife interactions to minimize human-wildlife conflict for coexistence.

AnalysisTarget 4 builds on the ambition of Goal A by setting the stage for action to halt human induced
extinction (especially for threatened species) restore genetic diversity, maintain species’ adaptive
potential, and minimize human-wildlife conflict, all essential for halting and reversing biodiversity
loss by 2030 and putting nature on a path to recovery. This Target could have been made stronger
by prioritizing action for threatened native species and for in-situ conservation, as well as byremoving the reference to “sustainable management,” because actions to enable the recovery of
threatened species can change overtime.

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Target 5
Ensure that the use, harvesting and trade of wild species is sustainable, safe and legal, preventing
overexploitation, minimizing impacts on non-target species and ecosystems, and reducing the riskof pathogen spill-over, applying the ecosystem approach, while respecting and protecting customarysustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities.

AnalysisTarget 5 aims to address the sustainability of how humans use wild species, including throughharvest and trade. The Target emphasizes safety and legality of wild species use, including the
reduction of risk of pathogen spill-over. Science strongly suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic
originated in wildlife and spilled over to people. To date it has cost more than USD12 Trillion andmore than 6 million people have died, but another zoonotic pandemic could be even worse.
Addressing upstream drivers of pathogen spillover, like the harvesting, trade, and use of wild species,
is a highly cost-effective action that can reduce the risk of future pandemics of zoonotic origin.
Including the reduction of pathogen spillover in this Target makes the GBF responsive and relevantto the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic and reduces threats to humans that can endanger ourselves
as a species and our economic systems that underpin the implementation of the CBD. Additionally,
the aim to minimize impacts on non-target species helps to address the issue of bycatch, thepredominant driver of the decline of a significant number of marine and freshwater fauna.
Additionally, the aim to minimize impacts on non-target species helps to address the issue of bycatch,
the predominant driver of the decline of a significant number of marine and freshwater fauna.

Target 6
Eliminate, minimize, reduce and or mitigate the impacts of invasive alien species on biodiversity andecosystem services by identifying and managing pathways of the introduction of alien species,
preventing the introduction and establishment of priority invasive alien species, reducing the rates
of introduction and establishment of other known or potential invasive alien species by at least 50
per cent, by 2030, eradicating or controlling invasive alien species especially in priority sites, suchas islands.

AnalysisTarget 6 aims to address the impacts of invasive alien species (IAS), building on Aichi Target 9. This
Target raises ambition with a quantitative element which should help with measuring progress, aswell as a specific focus on vulnerable places such as islands. It also calls for “eliminating as well as
minimizing or reducing” the impacts on IAS on biodiversity by reducing the introduction andestablishment of IAS by 50% by 2030, a critical part of halting and reversing biodiversity loss.

Target 7
Reduce pollution risks and the negative impact of pollution from all sources, by 2030, to levels thatare not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, considering cumulative effects,
including: reducing excess nutrients lost to the environment by at least half including through more
efficient nutrient cycling and use; reducing the overall risk from pesticides and highly hazardous
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chemicals by at least half including through integrated pest management, based on science, taking
into account food security and livelihoods; and also preventing, reducing, and working towards
eliminating plastic pollution.

AnalysisTarget 7 aims to reduce pollution from all sources, combatting a key driver of biodiversity loss. This
Target calls for the halving of excess nutrients lost to the environment and halving the overall risk
from pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals. The aim to reduce pesticide risk by half is positive,
as science shows that pesticide use can be reduced dramatically without impacts on food security
and that it is important to reduce risk from pesticide along with overall use of pesticides. Overall,this Target raises the ambition of Aichi Target 8 with quantitative, measurable pollution reductions,and reference to eliminating plastic pollution.

Target 8
Minimize the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity and increase its
resilience through mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction actions, including throughnature-based solution and/or ecosystem-based approaches, while minimizing negative and fostering
positive impacts of climate action on biodiversity.

AnalysisTarget 8 aims to minimize risk to biodiversity from climate change and manage biodiversity to both
mitigate climate change and support adaptation efforts, building on Aichi Target 15. Specifying
nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches is an important component of this Target,
setting the stage for conservation, sustainable management, and restoration actions designed toachieve mitigation or adaptation objectives. However, the lack of a quantitative element makes this
Goal challenging to monitor and restricts the full potential of its ambition.
This Target could have been stronger by prioritizing action in the high carbon ecosystems,
particularly those with irrecoverable carbon, that we cannot afford to lose if we want to achieve net
zero carbon emissions by 2050. Prioritizing action in these places would have both direct and indirect
benefits for biodiversity, contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts and open up
opportunities for new and additional funding. Given the strong support for this concept innegotiations, we expect that many countries will follow this approach when it comes toimplementation.

Target 9
Ensure that the management and use of wild species are sustainable, thereby providing social,economic, and environmental benefits for people, especially those in vulnerable situations and thosemost dependent on biodiversity, including through sustainable biodiversity-based activities, products
and services that enhance biodiversity, and protecting and encouraging customary sustainable use
by indigenous peoples and local communities.

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AnalysisTarget 9 aims to ensure the sustainable management and use of wild species, essential for providing
social, economic, and environmental benefits for people. Billions of people around the world benefit
from the management and use of wild species, and this target aims to mitigate the threats to species
while protecting the customary sustainable use by IPLCs.

Target 10
Ensure that areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are managed sustainably, inparticular through the sustainable use of biodiversity, including through a substantial increase of theapplication of biodiversity friendly practices, such as sustainable intensification, agroecological andother innovative approaches contributing to the resilience and long-term efficiency and productivityof these production systems and to food security, conserving and restoring biodiversity andmaintaining nature’s contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services.

AnalysisTarget 10 aims to ensure the resilience and long-term efficiency and productivity of production
systems through the application of biodiversity friendly practices such as sustainable intensification
and agroecological approaches, improving on Aichi Target 7. Targeting action to the production
systems listed in the Target – agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry – is important as those
sectors have the most impact on biodiversity. Agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture all relyon ecosystem services, such as clean water, soil productivity, pollinators, all essential for ensuring
productivity and resilience of these systems. The absence of a reference to the places that provide
these services will make it more difficult to ensure the productivity and resilience of these systems
and decrease the resilience of these systems to climate change and other natural disturbances.

Target 11
Restore, maintain and enhance nature’s contributions to people, including ecosystem functions andservices, such as regulation of air, water, and climate, soil health, pollination and reduction of diseaserisk, as well as protection from natural hazards and disasters, through nature-based solutions and/or
ecosystem-based approaches for the benefit of all people and nature.

AnalysisTarget 11 focuses on nature’s contributions to people, specifically through the use of nature-based
solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches, building on the ambition of Aichi Target 14 to ensurethat people’s needs can be met. The ecosystem services detailed in the Target are essential for foodproduction, clean water, and keeping people safe from natural disasters. Despite calls by multiple
countries to prioritize action in the places most important to providing services, this text left out of
the final text of the GBF. This additional text would have made it a stronger Target by providing a
directive for countries to prioritize action nationally in the places that provide high level of ecosystemservices, allowing for the most efficient use of resources and capacity to ensure that these important
services are maintained and/or restored. Given the strong support for this concept in negotiations,
we expect that many countries will follow this approach when it comes to implementation.
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Target 12
Significantly increase the area and quality and connectivity of, access to, and benefits from green
and blue spaces in urban and densely populated areas sustainably, by mainstreaming theconservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and ensure biodiversity-inclusive urban planning,enhancing native biodiversity, ecological connectivity and integrity, and improving human health andwell-being and connection to nature and contributing to inclusive and sustainable urbanization andthe provision of ecosystem functions and services.

AnalysisTarget 12 recognizes the role that urban centers and cities plan in conserving biodiversity as well as
improving the quality daily life and well-being for people who live in cities. Given that over half of
the world’s population resides in cities, the emphasis on human connection to nature, even in cities,
is an important element to be included in the GBF.

Target 13
Take effective legal, policy, administrative and capacity-building measures at all levels, as
appropriate, to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits that arise from the utilization ofgenetic resources and from digital sequence information on genetic resources, as well as traditional
knowledge associated with genetic resources, and facilitating appropriate access to genetic
resources, and by 2030 facilitating a significant increase of the benefits shared, in accordance withapplicable international access and benefit-sharing instruments.

AnalysisTarget 13 is closely tied with Goal C on increasing the benefits shared from the utilization of genetic
resources by 2030, building on the ambition of Aichi Target 16. Importantly, this Target aims tofacilitate appropriate access to genetic resources and the benefits they provide through effective
legal, policy, administrative and capacity-building measures. This Target has linkages to the agreed
decision on digital sequence information on genetic resources.

Target 14
Ensure the full integration of biodiversity and its multiple values into policies, regulations, planningand development processes, poverty eradication strategies, strategic environmental assessments,
environmental impact assessments and, as appropriate, national accounting, within and across alllevels of government and across all sectors, in particular those with significant impacts on
biodiversity, progressively aligning all relevant public and private activities, fiscal and financial flows
with the goals and targets of this framework.

AnalysisTarget 14 aims to mainstream the multiple values of nature into all sectors. The comprehensive
scope of government policies, regulations, planning and development processes, poverty eradication
strategies, strategic environmental assessments, environmental impact assessments and national
accounting is key to for widely reflecting biodiversity values in decision making. The Target could
9have been stronger and better reflect the needed transformative change by including budgets,frameworks, and metrics in addition to the elements above, as well as reference to effective
enforcement. Further, aligning financial flows with the Goals and Targets of the GBF encourages
essential business action for nature.

Target 15
Take legal, administrative or policy measures to encourage and enable business, and in particular toensure that large and transnational companies and financial institutions:(a) Regularly monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their risks, dependencies and impacts
on biodiversity, including with requirements for all large as well as transnational companies
and financial institutions along their operations, supply and value chains and portfolios;(b) Provide information needed to consumers to promote sustainable consumption patterns;(c) Report on compliance with access and benefit-sharing regulations and measures, asapplicable;
in order to progressively reduce negative impacts on biodiversity, increase positive impacts, reduce
biodiversity-related risks to business and financial institutions, and promote actions to ensuresustainable patterns of production.

AnalysisTarget 15 commits governments to encourage the private sector to increase their understanding of
their relationship with biodiversity by monitoring and assessing their risks, dependencies and impacts
on biodiversity. It also calls for businesses to disclose this information and to provide information to
consumers to promote sustainable consumption patterns. Finally, Target 15 calls for businesses toreport on compliance with access and benefit-sharing aspects. The business community advocatedto make the disclosure mandatory, through the Make it Mandatory campaign, sending a strong signal
from the business and finance community regarding the implementation of the GBF.

Target 16
Ensure that people are encouraged and enabled to make sustainable consumption choices including
by establishing supportive policy, legislative or regulatory frameworks, improving education andaccess to relevant and accurate information and alternatives, and by 2030, reduce the global
footprint of consumption in an equitable manner, including through halving global food waste,significantly reducing overconsumption, and substantially reducing waste generation, in order for all
people to live well in harmony with Mother Earth.

AnalysisTarget 16 aims to change consumption patterns through greater access to information and accessto alternatives. It also aims to halve global food waste, as a core part of a strategy to reduce theglobal footprint of consumption, all essential for addressing the biodiversity crisis. This Target builds
on the ambition of Aichi Target 4 by including the need for supportive policy, legislative or regulatory
frameworks. The lack of clear reference to the large-scale adoption of a circular economy, however,
weakens the Target.
10Target 17
Establish, strengthen capacity for, and implement in all countries in biosafety measures as set out
in Article 8(g) of the Convention on Biological Diversity and measures for the handling of
biotechnology and distribution of its benefits as set out in Article 19 of the Convention.

AnalysisTarget 17 aims to implement measures for the handling of biotechnology and distribution of its
benefits. This Target largely re-states obligations set out in Articles 8(g) and Article 19 of theConvention. This balances attention to both the potential risks and benefits of biotechnology.

Target 18
Identify by 2025, and eliminate, phase out or reform incentives, including subsidies, harmful forbiodiversity, in a proportionate, just, fair, effective and equitable way, while substantially andprogressively reducing them by at least 500 billion United States dollars per year by 2030, startingwith the most harmful incentives, and scale up positive incentives for the conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity.

AnalysisTarget 18 provides precise and quantified milestones to identify harmful subsidies to biodiversity by
2025, and eliminate, phase out, reform, and reduce these incentives by at least USD500 Billion/yearby 2030. This Target is essential to closing the USD700 Billion biodiversity funding gap. Target 18
deals with the need to reduce incentives that encourage the destruction of biodiversity and increase
those that encourage its conservation, restoration, or sustainable management. Reducing subsidies
and other negative incentives or replacing them with positive incentives is an important part of howtransformation of systems and promotion of sustainable use will be delivered. Along with Goal D and
Target 19.1, subsidy reform is an important piece of the resource mobilization package needed forthe implementation of the GBF.

Target 19
Substantially and progressively increase the level of financial resources from all sources, in an
effective, timely and easily accessible manner, including domestic, international, public and private
resources, in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention, to implement national biodiversity
strategies and action plans, by 2030 mobilizing at least 200 billion United States dollars per year,
including by:(a) Increasing total biodiversity related international financial resources from developed
countries, including official development assistance, and from countries that voluntarily
assume obligations of developed country Parties, to developing countries, in particular the
least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries witheconomies in transition, to at least US$ 20 billion per year by 2025, and to at least US$ 30
billion per year by 2030;

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(b) Significantly increasing domestic resource mobilization, facilitated by the preparation andimplementation of national biodiversity finance plans or similar instruments according tonational needs, priorities and circumstances;(c) Leveraging private finance, promoting blended finance, implementing strategies for raising
new and additional resources, and encouraging the private sector to invest in biodiversity,
including through impact funds and other instruments;(d) Stimulating innovative schemes such as payment for ecosystem services, green bonds,
biodiversity offsets and credits, benefit-sharing mechanisms, with environmental and social
safeguards(e) Optimizing co-benefits and synergies of finance targeting the biodiversity and climate crises,(f) Enhancing the role of collective actions, including by indigenous peoples and local
communities, Mother Earth centric actions and non-market-based approaches including
community based natural resource management and civil society cooperation and solidarity
aimed at the conservation of biodiversity(g) Enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of resource provision and use;

AnalysisTarget 19 addresses the mobilization of resources to implement the GBF. It includes a clear call forthe need to mobilize at least USD200 Billion/year in financial resources from all sources by 2030.
The total of USD200 Billion/year in funding for biodiversity from all sources (public and private sector,
domestic and international), is unfortunately less than the total needed to close the biodiversity
funding gap, which would require USD200 Billion/year of new and additional funding. The Target
articulates the need for these resources to come from both public and private sources, at the national
and international levels. Of the total funding the Target calls for, it specifically commits developed
countries to provide developing countries with at least USD20 Billion/year by 2025 and increasing
this amount to USD30 Billion/year by 2030. This figure includes funds classified as official
development assistance. This is likely less than what is needed – but a sizeable increase none-theless from the level of such assistance in the Hyderabad decision from 2012. The adoption of afinancial package as part of the GBF constitutes a powerful signal for its implementation
The Target also calls for efforts to leverage private finance and encourage the private sector toinvest in biodiversity to meet the new USD200 Billion/year part of the Target. There is also a clear
call to use innovative financial mechanisms such as payment for ecosystem services and biodiversity
credits to generate the necessary financial resources as well as a directive to optimize nature-climate
co-benefits from financing as well as call to ensure effective, efficient, and transparent use ofresources.

Target 20
Strengthen capacity-building and development, access to and transfer of technology, and promote
development of and access to innovation and technical and scientific cooperation, including throughSouth-South, North-South and triangular cooperation, to meet the needs for effective
implementation, particularly in developing countries, fostering joint technology development andjoint scientific research programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity andstrengthening scientific research and monitoring capacities, commensurate with the ambition of thegoals and targets of the framework.
12AnalysisTarget 20 aims to meet the needs for effective implementation of the GBF through non-monetarymeans of implementation, including South-South, South-North and triangular cooperation forcapacity building and development, access to and transfer of technology, and development of andaccess to innovation and technical and scientific cooperation. All these elements will have to be inplace, along with the financial resources, to deliver on the ambition of the Goals and Targets of the
GBF.

Target 21
Ensure that the best available data, information and knowledge, are accessible to decision makers,
practitioners and the public to guide effective and equitable governance, integrated and participatory
management of biodiversity, and to strengthen communication, awareness-raising, education,
monitoring, research and knowledge management and, also in this context, traditional knowledge,
innovations, practices and technologies of indigenous peoples and local communities should only beaccessed with their free, prior and informed consent, in accordance with national legislation.

AnalysisTarget 21 aims to ensure that decision makers have access to the best available data, informationand knowledge, including traditional knowledge, innovations, practices and technologies of IPLCs
with their free, prior and informed consent, a concept that throughout the GBF refers to tripartite
terminology of “prior and informed consent” or “free, prior and informed consent” or “approval andinvolvement,” a key recommendation from the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity(IIFB). Building on Aichi Target 18, the knowledge covered in this Target is critical to biodiversity
conservation, restoration, and sustainable use. The only thing missing from this Target is the directreference to the knowledge of women.

Target 22
Ensure the full, equitable, inclusive, effective and gender-responsive representation and participationin decision-making, and access to justice and information related to biodiversity by indigenous
peoples and local communities, respecting their cultures and their rights over lands, territories,
resources, and traditional knowledge, as well as by women and girls, children and youth, and persons
with disabilities and ensure the full protection of environmental human rights defenders.

AnalysisTarget 22 also expands on Aichi Target 18 by ensuring the full, equitable, inclusive, effective andgender-responsive representation, participation, and access to justice for IPLCs, women and girls,
children and youth, and persons with disabilities. The specific reference to respecting IPLC culture
and rights over their lands, territories, resources, and knowledge and call for full protection forenvironmental human rights defenders are positive steps towards living in harmony with nature by
2050.

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Target 23
Ensure gender equality in the implementation of the framework through a gender-responsive
approach where all women and girls have equal opportunity and capacity to contribute to the threeobjectives of the Convention, including by recognizing their equal rights and access to land andnatural resources and their full, equitable, meaningful, and informed participation and leadership at
all levels of action, engagement, policy and decision-making related to biodiversity.

AnalysisTarget 23 aims to ensure that equitable and meaningful participation of women and girls in policy
and decision-making spaces and acknowledges the key role of women and girls to contribute to theachievement of the objectives of the Convention and the GBF. This Target is an advancement on
this topic as the Aichi Targets did not include any specific reference to gender.

Resource Mobilization
Summary
Resource mobilization discussions resulted in a decision to create a Special Trust Fund forbiodiversity, agreement for countries to create national finance plans, and plans for the developmentof the first phase of a Resource Mobilization strategy (2023-2024).

Analysis
As referenced above in the analysis for Target 19, it was well-recognized that the full package ofelements around resource mobilization is a crucial part of the COP15 negotiations as well as theoverall success of the GBF to meet the ambition to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
This decision directs the GEF to establish a Special Trust Fund, referred to as the Global Biodiversity
Framework Fund (GBF Fund), dedicated to the implementation of the GBF, as soon as possible. This
new fund would be set up in 2023 with a separate governance structure from the GEF’s existing
structure, with a simple and effective application and approval process. It will be able to quickly
mobilize and disburse new and additional resources. The new fund will be able to receive from all
sources, including from the public sector, private sector, and philanthropic sources.
Countries also agreed to a Resource Mobilization strategy with the aim of facilitating the immediate
mobilization of resources to ensure the goals and targets included in the GBF are achieved. The
Resource Mobilization strategy is structured to include a quick-start resource mobilization phase(covering 2023-2024) and subsequent scale up of resources during the second phase (2025-2030).
The strategy will be refined based on the work of an Advisory Committee on Resource Mobilization.
The strategy also addresses DSI by noting the agreement around the multilateral mechanism forbenefit sharing from the use of DSI.
Finally, the decision encourages countries to develop national biodiversity finance plans andestablishes an Advisory Committee on Resource Mobilization to support strengthening of the Strategy
for Resource Mobilization. The advisory committee will make recommendations as to whether tocreate a dedicated financial mechanism for the CBD under the authority of the COP, which could bedesignated “Global Biodiversity Fund.”
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Monitoring Framework
Summary
The Monitoring Framework is intended to include the following four elements, however, only theheadline indicators were agreed at COP 15:••••

A minimum set of headline indicators (high-level indicators) that capture the overall scope of
the GBF’s Goals and Targets;
A set of global level indicators;
A set of optional component and complementary indicators to be taken together with theheadline indicators; andThe Terms of Reference for an Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on indicators that will provide
technical advice on remaining and unresolved issues of the Monitoring Framework beginning
immediately after the adoption of the GBF at COP15 through COP16.

Analysis
The lack of a clear monitoring framework at the time of adoption contributed to the world’s failure
to achieve the Aichi Targets. Recognizing this challenge, the GBF includes a preliminary monitoring
framework made up of the headline indicators and a clear trajectory for completion by 2025 though
the work of an Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on indicators. This allows for the immediate
monitoring and reporting on the Goals and Targets in the GBF, and the assessment of whether
enough action is being taken to meet the Goals and Targets of the GBF. The set of headline indicators
will feed into National Reports and help shape National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans(NBSAPs), providing clear, consistent guidance to countries on updating NBSAPs and reporting
progress against the Goals and Targets of the GBF.
The decision included a direct call to align with United Nations System of Environmental-Economic
Accounting (SEEA) statistical standard noting the importance for mainstreaming environmental
accounting into national statistical offices. This will allow repeatability and cross comparison ofindicators, as well as the identification of trends, and will help facilitate coordination across various
government agencies on data collecting and sharing, leading to easier management, and monitoringof natural resources, all parts of the transformational changes needed for the GBF to achieve its
stated whole-of-government approach.

Implementation Strategy
Summary
The GBF Implementation Strategy is a comprehensive implementation package for the next 8 years.
It includes a timeline and guidance for updating and revising NBSAPs (Annex I) and submitting
National Reports (Annex II). Importantly, Annex I contains a template for countries to report on
their National Targets linked to each of the Goals and Targets of the GBF as part of their NBSAPs
revision/update, and Annex II contains a similar template for 7th National Reports, reducing theburden of reporting and facilitating comparison and global analysis.

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Analysis
The CBD is operationalized through NBSAPs, which allow countries to report on their national
progress in achieving the objectives of the Convention. In addition to NBSAPs, countries also have
National Reports, documents that allow countries to report directly on their achievement of the Goals
and Targets of the GBF. Learning from the mistakes of the lack of a clear implementation strategy
for the Aichi Targets, the GBF Implementation Strategy has clear guidance for updating/revising
NBSAPs and submitting 7th and 8th National Reports in alignment with the GBF, including the following
elements:••••

Revised/updated NBSAPs will be communicated in a standardized format by COP16;
Parties will consider a global analysis of NBSAPs to assess the contribution towards the GBF
at COP16;
7th & 8th National Reports will be submitted by 28 February 2026 and 30 June 2029,
respectively, aligned with the headline and other indicators in the Monitoring Framework;
andBased on these National Reports, countries will conduct a global review of collective progressin the implementation and means of implementation of the GBF at COP17 and COP19.

This clear timetable for implementing the GBF through updated and revised NBSAPs and National
Reports between COP15 and 2030 is key for kickstarting action on the ground. Unfortunately, any
ratcheting up of ambition and implementation following the global reviews of collective progress isvoluntary, undermining the timely and comprehensive achievement of the GBF. This is due to thelack of coupling the provision of additional resources towards GBF implementation, based on specificimplementation gaps identified in the global review. This makes it more difficult to strengthen action
if progress is found to be insufficient.

Jill Hepp
Senior Director, International Policy
jhepp@conservation.org

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