Highlights and images for 28 February 2020

Italy

Summary


From L-R: Working Group Co-Chair Basile van Havre; CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper; and Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, CBD Secretariat

The second meeting of the Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (WG) resumed on Friday, with the first meeting of the fourth contact group on sections of the zero draft on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF), clustered under, “tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming.” During lunch, delegates participated in an information session on the role of the financial and business sectors in implementing the GBF.  Ines Verleye, Belgium, and Luciana Melchert, Brazil, reported on a thematic workshop on Resource Mobilization for the GBF, held in Berlin from 14 to 16 January 2020. Verleye noted that the business and private sector is willing to engage, but is having difficulty finding ways and places to “dance together” with governments.Marco Lambertini, WWF International, called for the parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to ensure clear targets for nature, commensurate to the carbon neutrality target in the Paris Agreement on climate change, for government, business, and civil society to rally around. Katia Karousakis, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), presented on the finance, economic, and business case for action on biodiversity, and a report prepared for the Meeting of the G7 Environment Ministers to be held in May 2020. She called for the CBD to create a multi-stakeholder advisory group on biodiversity, business, and finance. Akanksha Khatri, World Economic Forum, presented a suit of reports under the theme, “the New Nature Economy.” She outlined that this work has classified threats to biodiversity from three socio-economic systems as well as the transitions needed in these sectors, namely: food, land, and ocean use; infrastructure and the built environment; and energy and extractives. Stephan Hirschi and Antonios Koumbarakis, PwC Switzerland, presented the report “Nature is too big to fail – Biodiversity: the next frontier in financial risk management.” Hirschi noted different financial risks associated with biodiversity loss, inter alia: increased costs of capital or lending requirements; increased insurance claims; increased risk of default; loss of investment value related to reputational risks; and changes in business market value. In the afternoon plenary, delegates heard report-backs from the co-leads of contact groups, outlining progress achieved and presenting the conference room papers that would provide inputs for redrafting the GBF.With only one more day of negotiations left, delegates entered Friday’s agenda optimistic that the steady progress made over the week would not be interrupted by the fears of the Coronavirus reaching Rome. The updates by the CBD Secretariat that the morning health checks at the entrance of the meeting venue have not yielded any cases of concern further reassured delegates that their choice to remain in Rome was not just a leap of faith, but a worthwhile decision for the good of the future GBF. Much praise was heard throughout the day for the spirit of cooperation and compromise that has prevailed in contact groups and plenary. To this regard Co-Lead of the contact group on reducing threats to biodiversity Wadzi Goredema-Mandivenyi (South Africa) reflected that, “the spirit of colleagueship was felt, making the task of co-leads pleasant and I hope this atmosphere will follow the WG from Rome to Cali.”

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage. Α summary and analysis report from the 2nd Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework is available in HTML and PDF.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis

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Plenary Session
Working Group Co-Chairs Francis Ogwal and Basile van Havre
Jane Stratford and Andrew Stott, UK
Evelyn Vera Barreto, Mexico
Working Group Co-Chairs and Secetariat conferring
Takafumi Osawa, Japan
Ana Kobašlić, EU
Ángela Teves Libarona, Argentina
Carolina Díaz Acosta, Colombia
Wadzanayi Goredema-Mandivenyi, South Africa
The Colombian delegation
From L-R: Dolores Amelia Arreguín Prado; Ana Di Pangracio; and Mrinalini Rai, CBD Women Caucus
From L-R: Joaquín Salzberg; Ángela Teves Libarona; and Luciano Martín Donadio Linares, Argentina
Contact Groups
From L-R: Kathryn Garforth, CBD Secretariat; Contact Group 4 Co-Lead Teona Karchava, Georgia; Contact Group 4 Co-Lead Charlotta Sörqvist, Sweden; and Erie Tamale, CBD Secretariat
Daniel Wai-Poi, New Zealand
John Clorley, UK
Norbert Bärlocher, Switzerland, with Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat
Yassir Ahmed Hassan Nasr, Qatar, with Serhat Erbaş, Turkey
Inna Romanchenko, Russian Federation, and Saeid Soufizadeh, Iran
Jorge Murillo, Colombia
Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat, and Working Group Co-Chair Basile van Havre
Giovanni Ruta, World Bank
Luciano Martin Donadio Linares, Argentina
Yangzhao Sun, China
Information Session 5: The role of the Financial and Business Sectors in Implementing the Post-2020 Framework
View of the dais during the session
Marco Lambertini, WWF International
Katia Karousakis, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Ines Verleye, Belgium

 

Participants