100 nations pledge support for biodiversity to live in harmony with nature

Over 100 nations on Wednesday pledged their support to lay focus on biodiversity protection to realise the 2050 Vision of 'Living in Harmony with Nature' with the Kunming declaration. The decision was taken at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) ​at Kunming in China to act on protecting the enormous variety of life on Earth and thereby protect human health.

Kunming (China):Over 100 nations on Wednesday pledged their support to lay focus on biodiversity protection to realise the 2050 Vision of 'Living in Harmony with Nature' with the Kunming Declaration, the United Nations stated. The decision was taken at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) ​at Kunming in China to act on protecting the enormous variety of life on Earth and thereby protect human health.

Countries are expected to take up the proposed global biodiversity framework in May 2022, following further formal negotiations next January.

Huang Runquiu, the Minister of Ecology and Environment of China, and COP15 President called for urgent action to curb the unprecedented global species extinction. "Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation pose major risks to human survival and sustainable development”, Huang said, adding that "signalled renewed political will to boost ambition, enhance collaboration and maximize opportunities for synergies across other multilateral agreements."

Xi Jinping, the President of China has also committed to providing $230 billion, to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, to extend support in this regard to developing countries.

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity said, "The adoption of the Kunming Declaration is a clear indication of the worldwide support for the level of ambition that needs to be reflected in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be finalized next spring in Kunming."

In the meeting it has also been decided that Global Environment Facility, in collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP), would fast-track immediate financial and technical support to developing nations, to prepare for the rapid implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework post the COP 15 in-person meetings to be held next year from 25 April to 8 May 2022 in Kunming.

The European Union too has stressed doubling the external funding for biodiversity with France to provide 30 per cent of climate funds and the United Kingdom having announced a significant part of its increased climate funding to the initiative.