A truly ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework

By Cristina Eghenter, WWF International

The OEWG 4 negotiations in Nairobi are expected to provide impetus for coming closer to an agreement on an ambitious, transformative and inclusive GBF to first halt and then reverse biodiversity loss by tackling the drivers of nature destruction and transforming the conditions for a more equitable land and natural resource governance. 

What is an ambitious, transformative and inclusive GBF? It is a framework with goals and targets that are more ambitious than the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The stakes are higher and the risks of failing biodiversity and our future even greater. Likewise, it is a framework that must strive to combat the propensity to poor performance, low achievement and weak commitment in order to safeguard our one and common Earth, for present and future generations. And it can do so only insofar as it is based on a just, rights-based and whole-of-society approach. 

The ambition of the new GBF cannot be exclusively defined by quantitative measures and high numbers/percentages in goals and targets. Ambition requires transforming models of production and consumption to adhere to environmental standards and human rights. It is about changing governance systems to ensure that biodiversity is fully valued and that rights holders, those closer and most dependent on biodiversity, are fully part of any planning and decision-making that could impact their lives. Ambition should be at the core. It is about effectively and equitably tackling the root causes of biodiversity loss, recognizing rights and rewarding the contributions of the main custodians of biodiversity (IPLCs, both women and men) and securing the right of the youth to enjoy nature and life on this planet. 

Will the OEWG4 negotiations bring us closer to a truly ambitious GBF? The biodiversity loss and climate crises are demanding no less. Custodians and defenders of nature are expecting no less. 

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