“The contentious point about resource mobilisation is not about the amount of money, it is about choosing the most efficient way to disburse the money, and how as many sources and donors as possible can be invited to contribute”, said the European Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall, on the resumption of COP16 discussions on biodiversity (see EUROPE 13586/16) on Tuesday 25 February.
At COP15 in 2022, it was agreed to raise US$200 billion a year by 2030 for biodiversity, including US$30 billion from international funding. “The EU is the largest international donor”, said Jessika Roswall, pointing out that the EU had “pledged to double its share of biodiversity funding”, as announced in Cali, Colombia (see EUROPE 13517/15).
At a press conference on Monday 24 February, the Colombian Presidency of COP16 raised the possibility of extending the list of donor countries in order to reach an agreement on the mobilisation of resources in Rome.
On Tuesday, the European Commissioner conceded that the international context was currently “difficult”, echoing the President of COP16, Colombian minister Susana Muhamad, who said the day before that “geopolitical developments” and the pressure put on finances by wars were not helping the negotiations.
In Rome, the parties will also have to “finalise the monitoring framework and the follow-up planning review”, said Susana Muhamad. An initial overall assessment of the Convention will then be made at the end of the year, at COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia.
Cali fund. Meanwhile, one of the outcomes of the discussions in Colombia, the Cali Fund, was launched on the fringes of the resumed session in Rome. It will ask companies that commercially exploit data derived from nature’s genetic resources in various lucrative sectors to pay a proportion of their revenues.
At least 50% of the Cali Fund’s resources will go to indigenous people and local communities, in recognition of their role as guardians of biodiversity. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)