FORESTS & BIODIVERSITY: CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, COP15 – KEY DEMANDS

Friends of the Earth International calls for a Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) based on environmental integrity, human rights, and binding government regulation of business. The organization rejects 'false solutions' such as offsetting, 'Nature Positive' concepts, and corporate self-regulation, arguing that these facilitate continued biodiversity loss. Key demands include the recognition of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) as primary guardians of biodiversity, a transition from industrial agriculture to agroecology, and the provision of new, additional public financial resources for developing countries based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

• The Global Biodiversity Framework must prioritize absolute halts and reversals of biodiversity loss over 'No Net Loss' targets and ensure that the 30% protected area goal does not undermine the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs).
• Indigenous Peoples and local communities are identified as the most effective guardians of biodiversity, managing 80% of remaining biodiversity, and therefore require recognized rights to self-govern their territories through Community Forest Management or Indigenous Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs).
• The document argues against corporate self-regulation and 'corporate capture' within the CBD, demanding instead that governments implement coordinated, binding regulations for all economic sectors based on biodiversity criteria.
• Several 'false solutions' are rejected for oversimplifying the crisis and enabling business-as-usual, specifically: Nature-Based Solutions, offsetting, the 'Nature Positive' concept, economic valuation of nature, corporate certification schemes, and self-reporting mechanisms like the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
• Biodiversity should not be used as a trade-off for climate goals, and the document specifically rejects the use of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and offsetting measures that may undermine biodiversity.
• Industrial agriculture is cited as the primary cause of biodiversity loss; the document demands a global shift toward agroecological principles and Indigenous and peasant agriculture, rejecting 'sustainable intensification' and GMOs.
• Implementation of the GBF requires new and additional international public financial resources for developing countries, adhering to the Rio principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and excluding offsetting funds from being counted as finance.
• To avoid the failure of the Aichi Targets, the GBF needs a robust implementation mechanism including a compliance mechanism, full reviews of party commitments, and country-by-country peer reviews.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2022). FORESTS & BIODIVERSITY: CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, COP15 – KEY DEMANDS. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ENG_Position_CBDCOP15.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. FORESTS & BIODIVERSITY: CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, COP15 – KEY DEMANDS. 2022. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ENG_Position_CBDCOP15.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=FORESTS & BIODIVERSITY: CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, COP15 – KEY DEMANDS |date=December 2022 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ENG_Position_CBDCOP15.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternational2022forests, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{FORESTS \& BIODIVERSITY: CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, COP15 – KEY DEMANDS}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ENG_Position_CBDCOP15.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }