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COP16
Global biodiversity

The EU is committed to protecting and restoring biodiversity, as agreed in the Global Biodiversity Framework.

In 2022, 196 countries agreed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This is a historic deal for nature and a breakthrough for conserving and restoring biodiversity, and ensuring its sustainable use.

Progress has been made since the agreement, yet biodiversity is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate. Human actions are destroying healthy ecosystems, and consequently threatening our food security, resilience to climate change, and clean air, water and soils. 

Decisive action within this decade is critical to make peace with nature. The EU is therefore committed to the full and swift implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

What’s at stake? Life on Earth as we know it...

Biodiversity is about saving our life support systems. Healthy biodiversity means healthy people, food and water security. Nature is also our best ally in tackling  the climate crisis.

Right now, we’re destroying nature faster than ever. If we don’t change track, all of humanity will be put at risk.

Find out more about why nature needs you and we need nature too.

  • Green sphere with dolphin, deer and fir tree.

    1 million species are at risk of extinction

  • Globe depicting humans, trees, squirrel, sun, cloud, and water droplets.

    Humans have radically changed ¾ of the Earth’s surface

  • Scales on green backdrop surrounded by tree, cloud, sun, and water droplet.

    75% of the world’s crops depend on pollinators

  • Trees, clouds and sun atop green and blue hemisphere.

    Half of global GDP depends on nature

Global goals and targets

The Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) has clear, measurable goals and targets, with complete monitoring, reporting, and review arrangements to track progress. It is complemented by a robust resource mobilisation package.

The GBF significantly increases finance for biodiversity from all sources (domestic, international – both public and private) mobilising at least USD 200 billion per year by 2030. It further aims to reduce incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity by at least USD 500 billion per year by 2030.

A new Fund established under the Global Environment Facility is open to financing from all sources. 

The Cali Fund was established at COP16 to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic data derived from nature. The Fund enables companies and users of digital sequence information (DSI) to contribute meaningfully to global biodiversity conservation. 

See the key global targets for 2030
  • Restore 30% of all degraded ecosystems globally (on land and sea)
  • Conserve and manage 30% of land, waters and seas (terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas)
  • Halt human induced extinction of threatened species and ensure recovery and conservation of species
  • Reduce risk from pesticides by at least 50%
  • Reduce nutrients lost to the environment by at least 50%
  • Reduce pollution risks and negative impacts of pollution from all sources to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystems
  • Reduce theglobal footprint of consumption
  • Sustainably manage areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry including by substantially increasing agroecology and other biodiversity-friendly practices
  • Minimise the impact of climate change, including through nature-based solutions
  • Reduce the rate of introduction and establishment of invasive alien species by at least 50%
  • Secure the safe, legal and sustainable use and trade of wild species
  • Increase benefit sharing from the use of genetic resources to support biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use

Implementation

EU at COP16

A framework and concrete measures to protect and restore soils, and ensure that they are used sustainably

EU cooperation

The EU cannot solve the current crisis alone – all countries need to join forces. There is high public support for for leaders to take bold action for climate, nature and people. 

The EU is working with many partners to implement international commitments. Before COP15, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen endorsed the Leaders' Pledge for Nature, committing to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The Commission also joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People - an intergovernmental coalition supporting an ambitious framework.

Actions on the ground

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