Back in 1992 at the first Rio Conference on Sustainable Development, our governments launched the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) along with new conventions on climate change and desertification. Now, two decades on, the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) of the CBD opens on Monday in Hyderabad, India. For more information, see: http://www.cbd.int/cop11/.
One wonders whether twenty years of international biodiversity policy-making under the CBD including 10 COPs and countless preparatory and side meetings has not been enough. Since 1992 we have had a continuous road show of global biodiversity policy-making under the CBD and a myriad of other international conventions covering such topics as wildlife trade, wetlands, migratory species, and natural heritage. Earlier this year we also witnessed the mega Rio+20 Conference and only last month the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) held its 5th World Conservation Congress in Jeju, South Korea. We now have hundreds of international policy decisions and resolutions on biodiversity.
One wonders what the value added is for holding yet another global biodiversity policy-making conference in Hyderabad. The CBD press release on the event explains that The mobilization of resources for action on the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets will be at the top of the agenda. These targets were agreed at the last COP which took place in 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. They include commitments to conserve 17% of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10% of marine areas and coastal areas though establishing protected areas and to restore of at least least 15% of degraded areas.
Fine targets indeed, but where is the money going to come from? The CBD text includes a commitment by developed countries to provide new and additional resources to developing countries, but unfortunately most developed countries don’t have a lot of spare cash these days. However, wealthy developing countries, including Brazil, China, India and Saudi Arabia, are now holding many billions of dollars of foreign-exchange reserves. Will COP11 which is being hosted by India be able to mobilize additional resources from the wealthy developing countries?
COP11 may also focus on how to get more money for biodiversity out of the private sector. Private sector engagement in meeting the Aichi Biodiversity Targets is clearly on the agenda. Will COP11 be able as well to mobilize additional resources from businesses, banks, investors and consumers? Or will this topic be left to yet another COP in another place in another two years?
One thing is for certain, the Biodiversity Policy Global Road Show seems set to keep going on and on.
2012 Forbes.com LLC