China

As the first week of COP 25 draws to a close, members of the G-77/China huddle during an informal consultation to try reach agreement. The Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference concluded its first week in a flurry of discussions over the various issues due for completion before the subsidiary bodies close on Monday. Success was mixed. The subsidiary bodies will have “clean,” or agreed, decisions to consider for national adaptation plans and the Poznan strategic programme on technology transfer. After protracted negotiations, delegates agreed to a decision on research and systematic observation, which addresses global cooperation on climate monitoring and data. Negotiations continued well into the night on loss and damage, another technology item, transparency, and the review of the long-term global goal. Delegates were unable to find agreement on several issues, including common time frames and agriculture. In many cases, parties hoped that discussions among heads of delegation could resolve the issues by bringing together the few parties that remain in disagreement. The imminent arrival of ministers adds some pressure, as negotiators expressed a reluctance to bring all these unagreed texts to the political level. Delegates working on Article 6 (market and non-market mechanisms) waited throughout the day for the next iteration of the texts. Discussions on these were scheduled to start late in the evening, but were eventually postponed until Monday, 9 December. Many expect this issue to go to ministers. Uncertainty remains about what elements could be decided on at COP 25, and which ones would require additional time to create more detailed guidance on certain methodologies. The COP Presidency held an open dialogue between parties and observer organizations. COP 25 President Carolina Schmidt emphasized the need to bring together all actors to catalyze more ambitious commitments and action. Observers used the opportunity to discuss the broader picture, and multiple crises the world faces. Trade Union NGOs warned of “social tipping points” that, when crossed, undermine peoples’ support for climate policy. Environmental NGOs pointed out the looming environmental tipping points. Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations called for real, not “token,” engagement with traditional knowledge in the search for solutions. Also seeking wider inclusion, Youth NGOs called for making science available to all and supporting the participation of observers from developing countries. In the context of three workshops on energy, transport, and human settlements, the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action also underscored the important role of science. Several of the speakers discussed how to foster credible, science-based solutions that are effective and profitable. The intersection of those interests, particularly in the energy sector, were stressed as key to unlocking climate ambition by all. For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).

On Wednesday, participants to the Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity heard presentations focusing on “achieving change.” In the afternoon, small groups met to discuss a series of topics selected by the participants. In the evening, a reception hosted by the Norwegian Environment Agency took place at the Sverresborg Folk Museum. Peter White, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, presented perspectives from the private sector. Sol Ortiz García, Mexico, showcased biodiversity mainstreaming as a key strategy for achieving change. Bob Scholes, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, presented on the findings of the IPBES Thematic Assessment on land degradation and restoration. Bernardo Strassburg, International Institute for Sustainability, Brazil, outlined a strategic approach to restoration planning in Brazil. Drawing on examples from multilateral processes, Aleksandar Rankovic, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), France, noted that the post-2020 framework should focus on creating the best possible conditions for domestic implementation. A panel discussion then addressed interlinkages among different sectors and the value of taking a “nexus” approach. Luc Bas, IUCN, urged for more investment in nature-based solutions, also as part of the climate change debate. Vera Agostini, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), presented on fisheries' sustainability. María Rivera, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, called for an integrated approach, which entails: linking biodiversity to water; including wetlands under nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; and increasing cooperation among different focal points. Suneetha Subramanian, United Nations University International Institute for Global Health, called for linking social considerations to the biophysical environment through a set of institutions, and for making the connection between health and biodiversity. In the afternoon, participants heard from Anne Nuorgam, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, on perspectives and insights from indigenous peoples on the post-2020 framework; and from Keping Ma, Chinese Academy of Sciences, on China's ecological conservation redlining policy. Participants then met in small groups to share their own experiences with a focus on good practices, aiming to identify which changes need to happen and how, on the basis of successes and failures in the implementation of the Aichi targets. Several small groups discussed topics including: voluntary commitments; ecological connectivity; biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction; spatial targets; participatory approaches in species conservation; implementation of Aichi Target 18 on traditional knowledge; and experience with the voluntary peer-review under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

High Level Meeting group photo On Tuesday, participants to the Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity heard opening statements and keynote presentations; discussed the key findings of recent global, regional, and thematic assessments, and their implications for the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework; and held roundtable discussions on possible pathways to achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity on "Living in harmony with nature." Henrik Olsen, Saami Parliament, underlined the relevance of traditional knowledge for the entire society, and called for indigenous peoples' involvement in all biodiversity-related processes. Ola Elvestuen, Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway, called for system-wide transformative change to halt the global decline of nature. Maria Claudia Garcia, Vice Minister of Environmental Policies and Normalization, Colombia, announced that Colombia will host the third session of the Open-ended Working Group of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on the post-2020 framework in July 2020. Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia, highlighted biodiversity conservation efforts in her country. Zhai Qing, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment, China, invited active participation in the “Sharm El-Sheikh to Kunming Action Agenda for Nature and People” towards a realistic post-2020 framework echoing and reinforcing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cristiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary, stressed the need to scale up financing for nature-based solutions and urged towards focusing on transformative solutions. Anne Larigauderie, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), drew attention to IPBES work to build the knowledge base, and its contribution to inform transformative change and achieve simultaneously SDGs related to food, climate, health, water, and biodiversity. Johan Rockström, University of Potsdam, presented on the interconnected biodiversity and climate challenges. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UN Environment Programme, stressed that ecosystems are a key ingredient for achieving the SDGs in a world of climate change, and called for a paradigm shift, including through engaging other sectors. The session on recent assessments and their implications for the post-2020 framework featured presentations on: the IPBES Global Assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels; the report on the State of the World's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO); the Global Resources Outlook 2019 by the International Resource Panel; and the World Ocean Assessment from the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment. Following the opening session of the Trondheim Conference, a high-level meeting with invited guests was held in parallel. Hosted by Ola Elvestuen, Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway, the meeting focused on the post-2020 framework. It included sessions on biodiversity financing and implementation of the post-2020 framework, and a roundtable multi-stakeholder dialogue on ambitions and actions. In the evening, participants to a high-level dinner discussed issues related to reducing deforestation from globally traded agricultural commodities.