Crucial UN nature talks are about to reopen in Rome – but will enough countries turn up? | Global development

ZLupale will be reopened to stop the loss of nature today in Rome, amid the “loss of confidence” in the UN -led process and fears that the countries will not appear for the meeting. COP16 delegates, the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, will meet to discuss global goals to stop the loss of nature by 2030.

The additional meeting in Rome was called after the conversations were suspended in confusion in the Colombian city of Kali in November when they left delegates to arrest flights to the home.

The conference’s failure to conclude with clear results some of the goals that describe the global nature as “”Words not funded on paper“.

A difficult international climate

Since then, international environmental diplomacy has obtained more setbacks. The November climate talks in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, have ended with what the developing countries described in the name of Betrayal and failure.

In December, nations Failure On how to curb plastic pollution. In the European Union, a long -time leader in nature obligations, A number of countries have declined Their ambitions or reduce environmental laws.

In January, Donald Trump was opened and pledged Withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement Once again. Although the United States is not part of the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), a Freezing on spending by the United States Agency for International Development and other agencies It creates turbulence in developing countries and conservative projects.

“We see a more challenging international climate for many reasons, which requires more political participation in obtaining some difficult discussions,” says Andreas Bellland Eriksen, Minister of Climate and Environment in Norway, who plans to attend the talks.

However, only a few ministers are expected to attend, including representatives from Canada, Madagascar, France and Germany. The United Kingdom does not send a minister, and is considering not sending the nature envoy, but a government official claimed that “there will be a real type of leadership, as is always the case.”

“We can use the distinctive truth that we are English speakers, and that we have an amazing scientific base, we have the city of London. The official said in a briefing before the conference:” We can run it in this way. “

The lack of confirmed attendees in the months before the conference raised concerns about whether the meeting will reach the necessary legal quorum-which is about two thirds of the countries that attend-to make any of its decisions valid. A British government official confirmed that no concerns have been reached about this, with “additional checks to ensure that people intend to come.”

Rome is a smaller, additional Cop16 The meeting, and the countries were not planning them in their annual budgets. Some delegations may consider sending a diplomat from Rome. The sources indicate that more than 150 countries out of 196 have now registered their intention to attend.

Dealing with anger on financing

The issue of money – where it comes and how much – will dominate the three days of conversations in the Italian capital, where the delegates collected the most thorny part of the United Nations Biodiversity Agreement COP16.

A number of countries They were angry In the way the talks were withdrawn in Kali and the fact that the financial issue of financing was left without arbitration.

Seeking meetings is the failure of developed countries to produce financing to protect biological diversity in the poorest countries.

As of the year 2022 – the last year in which data is available and before the signing of the COP15 deal – the wealthy countries that signed the submitted agreement 10.95 billion dollars (8.9 billion pounds) in financing biodiversity. This is much lower than their COP15 pledge to provide $ 20 billion by 2025. There are no major financing ads in Rome.

Brian Odonil, director of the Environmental Group for Nature, says the issue of how to fill resources must be resolved. “I feel that all oxygen comes out of the room.”

In Kali, developing countries – especially Africa Group And Brazil – a student with a new mechanism for distributing the financing of biological diversity. They say the current box – which is located inside Global Environment Facility (GEF)The main source of United Nations financing for biological diversity – difficult to access and controlled by wealthy countries.

This was a red line for many countries in Kali. Odonil says there are discussions and consultations on the issue of a new box in recent weeks. “I don’t know if there is a movement in itself, but I think there is a desire to find a result,” he says.

Crisis of confidence

Many commentators say that the lack of progress in financing destroys the comprehensive confidence in the negotiations.

“It is not just an issue related to financial problems, it is a matter of whether the delegations raise confidence in this process,” says Oscar Syria, director of the Thinktank Initiative, which states that some delegates do not see a little purpose. “Lack of confidence is widespread,” he says.

Fears regarding the lack of leadership by the Minister of Environment in Colombia, Suzanna MuhammadResignation in Protest at the date of the cabinetAlthough it is still expected to chair the meeting. “Imagine that you are in a ship and then the captain resigns.”

Despite the fragility of environmental diplomacy, the risks rise. The population of global wildlife decreased by 73 % between 1970 and 2020, he said The latest ratingWith global heating It is expected to explode Goal 1.5C (2.7F) to at least 2.5 ° C.

The most thorny issues may remain on the table, but some important decisions have been reached within two weeks of talks in Kali. This included a global tax on Products made using genetic data from nature The official integration of indigenous communities in making the official decisions of the United Nations biological diversity process, described as “The moment of water gatheringsTo represent them.

Governments in COP16 have failed to sign how to monitor the goals of this contract. It is understood that most countries agreed on the monitoring framework project, but they were unable to register on it after the time ran out, so this will also be on the agenda in Rome.

Mohamed says that the meetings held in the period before the Rome gathering “have already given me a lot of hope.” In an interview recorded before the gathering, she said that the parties will meet in Rome with “the spirit of consensus.”

The world has not yet achieved a goal for the United Nations to stop the destruction of nature, and the goals that are now discussed in 2030 will be evaluated. Although Rome will be a smaller meeting, with fewer number if the goals of global biological diversity are achieved.

Syria says: “Nature 2030 goals were not dead – it is under pressure,” Syria says. “These few days in Rome can be historical, and this is for diplomats there to achieve this.”

“This is the first major environmental negotiator for this year, and it can really determine the tone of the rest of the year,” says Georgina Chandler, head of the London Zone Policy Association.

“It is a great year for nature,” she says. “The ability to reach consensus in Rome is a truly important moment for the agreement.”