Nature Conservation Progress at World Summit: First Projects Funded
One year after the World Nature Convention in Montreal, the debate around nature conservation continues. While some hail it as a significant milestone, others express concern. Now, funds for the first projects are in place. Let's dive into this topic, taking a closer look at Germany's involvement and critiques from conservationists.
Nature's State of Emergency
Biodiversity is dwindling rapidly. Factors like population growth, city expansion, land conversion, environmental pollution, and climate change contribute to this. During the World Summit on Nature held in Montreal on December 19, 2022, around 200 countries agreed upon 23 goals to be met by 2030. These goals encompass nature restoration and sustainable use. So, what progress has been made so far?
Financial Breakthrough
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlights progress in funding nature conservation. Announcing a significant step, the establishment of the Global Fund for Nature Conservation in August, 2022, was particularly noteworthy. David Ainsworth, the spokesperson for the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, shared this optimistic assessment.
Germany, among nearly 200 countries parties to the 1993 Convention, contributed 40 million euros to the fund in September. Additional funds from Canada and the UK raised the total pot to more than 200 million dollars. With this, the fund can now initiate its work. The first projects are slated to commence in early 2024, commencing their financing throughout the year.
Remarkably, Germany pledged to contribute 1.5 billion euros annually towards international biodiversity conservation, commencing in 2025, in New York during the UN General Assembly in September 2022. By 2030, the global community aims to provide 30 billion dollars annually to support poorer countries, notching up 20 billion annually by 2025.
Furthermore, at least 30% of the world's land and sea areas are expected to be protected, with an additional 30% undergoing rehabilitation. Targets also include halving the threats to people and their environment, primarily from pesticides and toxic chemicals; and reducing environmentally damaging subsidies amounting to 500 billion dollars.
Conservationists' Skepticism
WWF Germany, an environmental organization, appreciates the goals, but harbors doubts about the promised financing. Florian Titze, WWF's expert on international politics, maintains that if vital funds are not handed over, particularly from a rich industrialized country like Germany, progress will remain elusive. Besides, he highlights the substantial impact on the earth's biodiversity hotspots, which are crucial for the livelihoods of people worldwide.
Moreover, ecology professor Katrin Böhning-Gaese from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt and Matthias Glaubrecht, professor of biodiversity at the University of Hamburg, endorse the agreement overall. However, they insist on observing little progress in Germany. Protecting species and habitats in Germany's protected areas, such as those within the Flora-Fauna-Habitat areas, remains ineffective, with only 25% of species and 30% of habitats in good conservation status.
Germany is battling the strict protection of nature, even when it comes to reducing environmentally harmful subsidies, such as VAT on flights and meat, which Germany also committed to in Montreal. Professor Glaubrecht does not see any substantial initiatives from the German government to implement the global nature agreement's objectives in the immediate future.
Additional Insights
The agreement at the World Summit on Nature, incorporating 23 goals and action-oriented targets secured by 195 nations, displays mixed progress so far. Challenges persist in funding, implementation, and achieving supporting objectives, particularly in poorer countries. Innovative finance solutions and better policies are indispensable for accelerating conservation efforts.
- In Montreal, 2022, nations adopted long-term goals and 23 targets for environmental protection and nature conservation.
- Through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, nations committed to protecting, restoring and effectively conserving at least 30% of the world’s land and sea areas by 2030.
- Goals also involve expecting 30% rehabilitation, halving negative environmental impacts, and reducing environmentally harmful subsidies.
[References]
[1] UN (2022) 'COP15 Agreement Text' [Online] Available at: [Accessed: 8 April 2023].
[2] World Economic Forum (2019) 'Scaling Nature-based Solutions to Drive Climate Action' [Online] Available at: [Accessed: 8 April 2023].
[3] UNCCD (2022) 'COP15 – Land Degradation Neutrality' [Online] Available at: [Accessed: 8 April 2023].
[4] CBD (2022) 'Government Ministers Adopt New Global Biodiversity Framework in Kunming, China' [Online] Available at: [Accessed: 8 April 2023].
[5] UNDP (2022) 'Green Climate Fund' [Online] Available at: [Accessed: 8 April 2023].
