POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ZERO DRAFT OF
THE POST-2020 BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORKSecond meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity
Framework (WG2020-2), Convention on Biological Diversity
Rome, Italy
24 – 29 February 2020
Key recommendations
Conservation International proposes the following policy recommendations for the Second Open
Ended Working Group:•Increase level of ambition to create transformational change. This is especially importantin the need for Targets that are clearly actionable for different sectors and actors tofacilitate whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach needed. Targets 8 – 14
should be updated in this manner.

•Ensure prioritization of ecosystems delivering the benefits to people that are essential forwater, food and climate regulation. This is particularly important in Goals 1 and 4 andTargets 2 and 6.

•Adhere to a human rights-based approach which ensures the respect and support of all
humanity, including Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and thus affects the direct
and indirect protection of biodiversity. This is relevant to Targets 2, 18 and 19.

•

Agree to sufficient and comprehensive resources to finance the full implementation of thePost-2020 Framework.

Detailed recommendations below.

General Comments on the Zero Draft
Overall, we welcome this Zero Draft as a thoughtful starting point for developing the Post-2020 Global
Biodiversity Framework. We see the combination of state-based Goals and action-oriented Targets as astrong foundation and we are particularly supportive of the increased focus on nature’s role in providing
benefits to people, including ecosystem services related to food, water and climate.
However, we are concerned that the level of ambition for creating true transformational change on thescale needed is missing. As it stands, the vague aspects of some areas of the text provide potential
loopholes for less effective actions and a possible delay in achievement of goals from 2030 to 2050. In
particular, there is a need to ensure the framework clearly states what can and cannot be lost in terms of
critical areas for species and ecosystem services.

The role of nature in providing benefits to people also needs to be explicit and clearly conveyed in theGoals and Targets.1 On this note, we would like to point out that nature can provide at least 37% of thesolution to climate change, and forthcoming research shows that about 1/3 of the Sustainable Development
Goals cannot be achieved without a healthy environment. As identified in the zero draft, the key ecosystemservices we need to prioritize for human wellbeing are those around climate, food and water. Scientificadvances now allow us to identify the globally important ecosystems and sites that are providing criticalservices for humanity. We recommend including these important areas in the global biodiversity frameworkso they can be prioritized for protection, conservation and sustainable management in support of theachievement of the Goals and Targets.

Climate services
Carbon is stored across the globe in the Earth’s biomass and soils. “Irrecoverable carbon” is considered thecarbon that would be impossible to recover by 2050 if exposed and lost to the atmosphere due to landdevelopment activities. While most countries have some irrecoverable carbon to protect, Fig. 1 shows theareas where irrecoverable carbon is concentrated globally. 2 Human land-use decisions are the primary
determinant of whether irrecoverable carbon remains stored or is released to the atmosphere, thus it iscritical that these areas be protected if we want to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and achieve
Goal 4 and Target 6 proposed in the Zero Draft. As such, we recommend including the protection of theseareas in the framework and tracking their carbon stocks over the next decade.

Figure 1. Concentrations of irrecoverable carbon (dark green indicates highest density).
1

Nature’s contributions to people include a range of benefits including clean water, food availability, spiritual connection and psychologicalwellbeing, all stemming from multiple aspects of biodiversity: genes, species and ecosystems.
2 Partners on mapping irrecoverable carbon: University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Nature Conservancy, Woods Hole Research Center,
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. This research is in progress and will be published soon.

2

Food and Water services
It is also now possible to map areas of the world that are globally important for providing ecosystemservices related to food and water provision. Figure 2 shows concentrations from low to high of a range ofmultiple services including water quality (nitrogen, sediment), grazing/browsing/fodder, wild food and nonwood products, pollination, timber and fuel wood. 3 This map shows areas globally that are essential for
providing these benefits for human wellbeing and for achieving Goal 4 and Targets 1 and 2. Darkest areas
are highest priority. We urge Parties to prioritize the protection of these areas in the framework and track
their status over the next decade.

Figure 2. These are the aggregate realized score across multiple food and water-related services.

Goals
Goal 1: No net loss by 2030 in the area and integrity of freshwater, marine and terrestrial
ecosystems, and increases of at least [20%] by 2050, ensuring ecosystem resilience(paragraph 10(a)).
Recommended Text:
By 2030, achieve net gain in the area and integrity of freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems,

relative to a 2015 baseline, with no loss in ecosystems of high importance for biodiversity, ecosystemservices or high ecological integrity, and an additional net gain of at least [20%] by 2050. (paragraph10(a)).

3 Partners on mapping multiple ecosystem services: Natural Capital Project, Stanford University, University of Minnesota, King’s College London.

Further details on data and methodology can be provided upon request. Note these maps are pre-publication drafts and subject to change.

3

Comments:
We welcome the inclusion of this state-based goal for ecosystems. We urge that the goal be accompanied
by a definition of “integrity” that encompasses quality, functionality including the provision of ecosystemservices, and connectivity. We also call for the inclusion of a baseline in the goal in order to facilitate
monitoring progress and that this baseline be set prior to 2020 since a later baseline would risk ecosystemcollapse. Similarly, some biomes may require greater gains than specified in the goal - for example, theGlobal Mangrove Alliance recommends a 20% increase of mangrove cover by 2030. We recommend
addressing biome-specific differences in the monitoring framework.
Goal 4: Nature provides benefits to people contributing to: (paragraph 10(d))(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)

Improvements in nutrition for at least [X million] people by 2030 and [Y million]
by 2050;
Improvements in sustainable access to safe and drinkable water for at least [Xmillion] people, by 2030 and [Y million] by 2050;
Improvements in resilience to natural disasters for at least [X million] people by2030 and [Y million] by 2050;
At least [30%] of efforts to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement in 2030 and2050.

Recommended Text:

Areas of nature that deliver ecosystem services providing benefits to people are conserved, enhanced
and contributing to:(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)

Improvements in nutrition for at least [X million] people by 2030 and [Y million] by 2050;
Improvements in the regulation and provision of safe and drinkable water for at least [Xmillion] people, by 2030 and [Y million] by 2050;
Improvements in resilience to natural disasters for at least [X million] people by 2030 and[Y million] by 2050;
At least [30%] of efforts to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement in 2030 and 2050.

Comments:
CI welcomes the inclusion of goal 4 as structured because it supports the IPBES framing by first considering
nature’s state (in the first three goals) and then considering the benefits from that state (ideally healthy orrecovering). However, we propose adding elements to the text that reflect the need to keep the ecosystems
healthy in the long-term, so that these benefits to human wellbeing are not acquired at the cost ofdegradation of nature.

Targets
Target 1: Retain and restore freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, increasing by atleast [50%] the land and sea area under comprehensive spatial planning addressing land/sea
use change, achieving by 2030 a net increase in area, connectivity and integrity and retaining
existing intact areas and wilderness (paragraph 12(a)(1)).

Recommended Text:4

Place 100% of freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems, under comprehensive and biodiversityinclusive spatial planning to reduce loss from land/sea use change, achieving by 2030 a net increase inarea, connectivity and integrity of all natural ecosystems and no loss of areas with high integrity.

Comments:
Spatial planning can be an important tool for managing risk to biodiversity from changes in use of land(including freshwater systems) and marine systems but only if the spatial planning aims to support thehealth of ecosystems as a primary aim as opposed to using spatial planning for other non-sustainablepurposes.
Target 2: Protect sites of particular importance for biodiversity through protected areas andother effective area-based conservation measures, by 2030 covering at least [60%] of suchsites and at least [30%] of land and sea areas with at least [10%] under strict protection(paragraph 12(a)(2)).

Recommended Text:
Protect and conserve sites of particular importance for biodiversity, including those providing essential
ecosystem services, through effectively managed and governed protected areas and other effective areabased conservation measures, by 2030 covering at least 100% [60%] of such sites and at least [30%]each of land and sea terrestrial (including freshwater), and marine ecosystems areas with at least [10%]under strict protection.

Additionally, ensure that, by 2030, all land and waters traditionally governed and conserved by IPLCs 4
are appropriately recognized and collectively secured for conservation and the sustainable use of
biodiversity based on Free Prior and Informed Consent.

We recommend these text changes to ensure that sites are not only created, but conserved in the longterm, as well as to ensure that the target includes areas providing essential ecosystem services and toensure that freshwater systems are considered.
We are concerned that the text is based on the assumption that more strictly protected areas are moreeffective. It is unclear how “strict protection” is defined, and whether this should be the goal. While someresearchers consider IUCN management categories 5 1-3 more “strict”, there is a great deal of evidence
that demonstrates the important role of all management categories, including those with sustainable use,which can sometimes have more positive conservation outcomes than categories 1-3. We recommend
Parties clarify the intent of the element of this Target focused on “strict” protection.
Additionally, it is important to note that “management” is not the same as “governance”; any of the IUCN
management categories can be governed in a variety of manners. For example, see this illustration in thecontext of IPLCs6. We also recommend an emphasis on securing IPLCs lands, tenure rights andresponsibilities of area-based conservation.

4IPLC is an acronym for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

5

https://www.iucn.org/theme/protected-areas/about/protected-area-categories

6

http://parksjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/PARKS-22.2-Corrigan-et-al-10.2305IUCN.CH_.2016.PARKS-22-2CC.en_.pdf

5

Target 6: Contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and disaster risk reduction
through nature-based solutions providing by 2030 [about 30%] [at least XXX MT CO2=] ofthe mitigation effort needed to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, complementing
stringent emission reductions, and avoiding negative impacts on biodiversity and food security(paragraph 12(a)(6)).
Recommended Text:
Contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and disaster risk reduction through nature-basedsolutions by conserving and restoring natural high-carbon ecosystems providing by 2030 [about at least30%] [at least XXX MT CO2=10 GtCO2e/yr] of the mitigation effort needed to achieve the goals of theParis Agreement, complementing stringent emission reductions, and avoiding negative impacts on
biodiversity and food security.
Comments:
High carbon ecosystems are the areas most important for delivering nature-based solutions for mitigation.
To achieve the at least 30% of the solution that nature offers to climate change, those ecosystems must
be prioritized, particularly because many of them store carbon in quantities that cannot be recovered once
lost. Achievement of this target must also consider the need to restore mangroves, sea grasses, rangelands,
working lands (agroforestry), secondary forests, and so forth.7
Target 8: Conserve and enhance the sustainable use of biodiversity in agricultural and othermanaged ecosystems to support the productivity, sustainability and resilience of suchsystems, reducing by 2030 related productivity gaps by at least [50%] (paragraph 12(b)(8)).
Recommended Text:

Improve the state of biodiversity in agricultural and other managed ecosystems, including managed
fisheries and aquaculture, to support the productivity, sustainability and resilience of such systems,
particularly by promoting agroecology to ensure the health of the broader agricultural system andsustainable aquaculture that promotes the conservation of wild species and their aquatic environments,
in order to reduce related productivity gaps by at least [50%] by 2030.
Comments:
We suggest the changes above to clarify the importance of biodiversity in sustaining productive systems.
We also suggest inserting text that includes fisheries and aquaculture context in addition to agriculture.
Target 9: Enhance nature-based solutions contributing, by 2030, to clean water provision for
at least [XXX million] people (paragraph 12(b)(9)).
Recommended Text:
Enhance nature’s ability to contribute, by 2030, to clean water provision for at least [XXX million] people

by ensuring the conservation and sustainable management of natural ecosystems providing ecosystemservices related to water quality and quantity.

7For national scale pathways to achieve these goals, see https://www.pnas.org/content/114/44/11645 andhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0126.

6

Target 12: Reform incentives, eliminating the subsidies that are most harmful for biodiversity,
ensuring by 2030, that incentives, including public and private economic and regulatory
incentives are either positive or neutral for biodiversity (paragraph 12(c)(12)).
Comments:
This Target is one of the most important for achieving the level of transformational change needed toachieve the aims of the post-2020 framework. We urge Parties to maintain this Target and to include
actionable steps in the monitoring framework to track progress.
Target 13: Integrate biodiversity values into national and local planning, development
processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts, ensuring by 2030, that biodiversity
values are mainstreamed across all sectors and that biodiversity inclusive strategic
environmental assessments and environmental impact assessments are comprehensivelyapplied (paragraph 12(c)(13)).
Comments:
This Target is one of the most important for achieving the level of transformational change needed toachieve the aims of the post-2020 framework. We urge Parties to maintain this Target and to include
actionable steps in the monitoring framework to track progress.
Target 14: Reform economic sectors towards sustainable practices, including along theirnational and transnational supply chains, achieving by 2030 a reduction of at least [50%] in
negative impacts on biodiversity (paragraph 12(c)(14)).
Comments:
This Target is one of the most important for achieving the level of transformational change needed toachieve the aims of the post-2020 framework. We urge Parties to maintain this Target and to include
actionable steps in the monitoring framework to track progress.
Target 15: Resources, including capacity-building, for implementing the framework haveincreased from all sources so that by 2030 resources have increased by [X%] and arecommensurate with the ambition of the targets of the framework (paragraph 12(c)(15)).
Comments:
Sufficient resources, from both private and public sector sources, will be essential to closing the gap on
finance and capacity. Ambition in this target will be critical to the delivery of all others. Therefore, thisTarget will need to include not only an ambitious monetary element (best informed by forthcoming
research). This target will need to include action elements here or in the monitoring framework on enacting
new country and global fiscal policies (including perhaps the proposal of committing 1% of global Gross
Domestic Product), mechanisms and incentives to produce new sources of funding for biodiversity
restoration and protection. Additionally, a plan for targeted capacity-building efforts, especially including
technical exchanges between staff of developing countries.
Target 18: Promote education and the generation, sharing and use of knowledge relating tobiodiversity, in the case of the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenousand local communities with their free, prior and informed consent, ensuring by 2030 that alldecision makers have access to reliable and up to date information for the effective
management of biodiversity (paragraph 12(c)(18)).

7

Recommended Text:
Promote education and the generation, sharing and use of knowledge relating to biodiversity, in the caseof the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities with theirfree, prior and informed consent and adhering to safeguarding principles, ensuring by 2030 that alldecision makers have access to reliable and up to date information for the effective management ofbiodiversity decisions on biodiversity use and management effectiveness are guided by accessible,reliable and up to date information.”
Comments:
We fully support this target given the importance of traditional knowledge to the health and integrity ofbiodiversity, particularly as a result of the long-held custodial relationships that develop between indigenous
peoples, local communities and nature. We also support free, prior and informed consent but note that thetreatment of traditional knowledge requires care that should adhere to safeguard principles 8 and the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). We suggest revision of text in thistarget to be more inclusive so that emphasis is on decisions and knowledge rather than decision makers.
Target 19: Promote the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local
communities, and of women and girls as well as youth, in decision making related to theconservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, ensuring by 2030, equitable participationand rights over relevant resources (paragraph 12(c)(19)).
Recommended text:
Promote the democratization of decision-making processes related to conservation and sustainable useof biodiversity to ensure the full and effective participation of IPLCs, women and girls, youth and others.
Comments:
The role and engagement of IPLCs within the development of the post-2020 framework is critical, having
significant impact not only on human rights but also the important areas of biodiversity and ecosystemservices that are under the governance of IPLCs. Issues of mainstreaming traditional knowledge, including
indicators that reflect this knowledge, the development of a safeguards framework, and adequate funding
resources are important aspects of the negotiations. We support processes and outcomes that recognize,respect and support IPLC knowledge and leadership.

For more information, please contact:
Colleen Corrigan
Senior Manager, Sustainable Development
Policy ccorrigan@conservation.org
or
Lina Barrera
Vice President, International Policy
lbarrera@conservation.org

8For example, see https://www.greenclimate.fund/document/indigenous-peoples-policy

8

Citations
Biodiversity Indicators Partnership. (n.d.). Protected Area Connectedness Index (PARC-Connectedness).
Retrievedfromhttps://www.bipindicators.net/indicators/protected-area-connectedness-index-parcconnectedness
Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L. M., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). A systematic review of evidence forthe added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health, 10(1). doi:
10.1186/1471-2458-10-456
Brauman, K. A., Richter, B. D., Postel, S., Malsy, M., & Flörke, M. (2016). Water depletion: An improved
metric for incorporating seasonal and dry-year water scarcity into water risk assessments. Elementa:
Science of the Anthropocene, 4, 000083. doi: 10.12952/journal.elementa.000083
Conservation International & GEF (n. d.) SPARC. Retrieved January 30, 2020, from http://www.sparcwebsite.org/Corrigan, C., Bingham, H., Broome, N. P., Hay-Edie, T., Tabanao, G., & Kingston, N. (2016). Documenting
local contributions to Earth’s biodiversity heritage: The Global Registry. Parks, 22(2), 55–68. doi:
10.2305/iucn.ch.2016.parks-22-2cc.en
European Commission's Joint Research Centre. (n.d.). Global Surface Water Explorer. Retrieved fromhttps://global-surface-water.appspot.com/Forest Stewardship Council. (n.d.). Certification. Retrieved from https://us.fsc.org/en-us/certification
Grill, G., Lehner, B., Thieme, M., Geenen, B., Tickner, D., Antonelli, F., … Zarfl, C. (2019). Mapping theworld’s free-flowing rivers. Nature, 569(7755), 215–221. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1111-9
Global Threats to Human
http://www.riverthreat.net/

Water

Security

andRiverMarine Stewardship Council. (n.d.). How we meethttps://www.msc.org/about-the-msc/how-we-meet-best-practice

Biodiversity.
best(n.d.).

practice.

RetrievedfromRetrieved

fromOcean Health Index. (2020). Retrieved from http://www.oceanhealthindex.org/Shanahan, D. F., Bush, R., Gaston, K. J., Lin, B. B., Dean, J., Barber, E., & Fuller, R. A. (2016). HealthBenefits from Nature Experiences Depend on Dose. Scientific Reports, 6(1). doi: 10.1038/srep28551
The Freshwater Health Index (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.freshwaterhealthindex.org/
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (2019, August 15). Protected Area Categories.
Retrieved from https://www.iucn.org/theme/protected-areas/about/protected-area-categories
Trends.Earth. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://trends.earth/docs/en/
WWF & TNC. (2019). Freshwater Ecoregions of the World. Retrieved from https://www.feow.org/UNFCCC. (n.d.). Introduction to the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform. Retrieved fromhttps://unfccc.int/LCIPP
United Nations. (n. d.) The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting, Ecosystem Accounting.
Retrieved from https://seea.un.org/ecosystem-accounting

9