In Focus: The Road to global biodiversity

As the chair of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15), China is ready for the second phase of the conference. The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the most important landmark expected outcome of the second phase, is also highly anticipated by the 196 parties to the Convention.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a legally binding convention that aims to protect endangered plants and animals and maximize the conservation of the Earth's diverse living resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

In the 1970s, more and more people payed attention and appealed to the importance of natural resources to the development of human society and the urgency of protecting natural resources gradually. In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was held, which was the first international conference focusing on environmental issues. It put forward the theme of environment and sustainable development and became the origin of World Environment Day. Then, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held on 5 June 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature by all countries. China signed the Convention on 11 June 1992, becoming one of the first countries to do so. In December 2016, China was awarded the right to host the Conference of the Parties (COP15) in 2020. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the conference was divided into two phases. The first phase was successfully held in Kunming, China, in October 2021, and the Kunming Declaration was adopted at the high-level meeting.

Now, let's go back 12 years to October 2010, when the 10th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Nagoya, Japan. At the conference, the Aichi Biodiversity Conservation Targets were adopted. It was the first 10-year biodiversity conservation targets in the world, known as the Aichi Goals for short. Unfortunately, 10 years later, the acceptance tests worldwide have not been satisfactory: according to a report released by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in September 2020, not one of the 20 action targets of the 2010 Aichi Goals has been fully achieved, and only six targets have been partially achieved.

The world is at a crossroad for biodiversity conservation. The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, which is expected to be agreed on at CBD COP15, is expected to inform us during the next decade on which path biodiversity conservation will be expected to follow.

This month's issue focuses on the second phase of CBD COP15 and biodiversity issues. We look forward to the emergence of a framework ambitious enough to enable us to achieve our goals and vision for biodiversity conservation by addressing several of the primary causes of biodiversity loss.