ECO 70(1) - Monday, 21 October

In this issue:

  • Equity and ambition needed in resource mobilization
  • How False Finance Destroys Biodiversity
  • The CBD's Role in Securing Multilateral Regulation for Biodiversity: doing better than past Mainstreaming Processes
  • Biodiversity Offsets and Credits: A Mirage Destined to Undermine Earth's Future
  • DSI: An obligation or a mere trickle of funds?
  • Horizon scanning, monitoring and assessment: Fundamental in ensuring equity and precaution in synthetic biology development

Equity and ambition needed in resource mobilization

Lim Li Ching, Third World Network

Agreement on the resources needed for taking action to address the biodiversity crisis is crucial at COP16. With over 400 square brackets to resolve, these discussions will be very contentious, and will quickly become entrenched in the North-South fight over monies owed. When we view it from a global justice lens, we understand that it really is about equity. Read more >

 

How False Finance Destroys Biodiversity

Simone Lovera, Biomass Action Network
Biomass Burning = Biomassacre

Now it is Action Time for biodiversity policy makers, who are coming together at COP 16 for the first time since the adoption of the historic Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022, and the big question on the table is: ā€œDo we have the resources we need?ā€ Delivering finance for conservation will be at the heart of North-South negotiations the coming weeks, and the demand of developing countries that developed countries pay the new and additional costs of biodiversity conservation in light of historical injustices is fair and square. Read more >

 

The CBD's Role in Securing Multilateral Regulation for Biodiversity: doing better than past Mainstreaming Processes

Helena Paul, Econexus

The planet is losing biodiversity at alarming rates. Planetary boundaries are breached, with serious negative implications for future generations of human
beings and all living organisms and ecosystems. The main driving forces for this ongoing disaster are corporations operating in sectors such as food and agriculture, forestry, mining, energy, infrastructure, and finance, which are wreaking havoc around the planet. Read more >

 

Biodiversity Offsets and Credits: A Mirage Destined to Undermine Earth's Future

Nele Mariƫn, Friends of the Earth International

In a world where economic growth is sacred for most decision-makers, and where profit-making is the mandate corporate CEOs have, biodiversity is constantly under threat. Significant parts of the economy rely upon the continued possibility to implement ā€œdeve-lopment projectsā€ in areas with valuable ecosystems. Read more >

DSI: An obligation or a mere trickle of funds?

An upside-down triangle to visualize how much exemptions are proposed.

Antje Lorch, Ecoropa

The third objective of the Convention is an obligation to ā€œthe fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resourcesā€.
The world was a different place in 1993 when this was decided. When the genome of whole organisms where sequenced it was a mile stone, but not many could have envisioned a point where samples can be sequenced and uploaded in the field; with GPS coordinates of the exact sampling location as additional metadata - and where digital biopiracy would be possible without physical material leaving the country. Read more >

 

Horizon scanning, monitoring and assessment: Fundamental in ensuring equity and precaution in synthetic biology development

Eva Sirinathsinghji, Third World Network

Novel synthetic biology applications, such as those designed to possess self-spreading capabilities, to perform wild ecosystem-wide engineering, or to use the worldā€™s genetic biodiversity for the production of AI-generated artificial genetic sequences, pose serious challenges to biosafety regulations and risk assessments. Such conceptual and biological novelties raise a wide range of ecological, health, socio-economic, cultural and ethical concerns. Significant hype also surrounds the industry, warranting careful scrutiny over which are the most viable, locally appropriate and less risky approaches for protecting biodiversity and human well-being. Read more >