COP-16: India’s Biodiversity Conservation Goals

• The 16th edition of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) in Colombia, involving about 190 countries, saw representatives trying to reach a conclusive deal.

• The convention followed meetings in 2022 in Montreal, Canada, which agreed to protect 30% of land and water by 2030.

• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) set 23 action-oriented global targets for urgent action in the decade to 2030.

• The goals include reducing the introduction of invasive alien species by 50% and minimising their impact by 2030, reducing pollution risks and the negative impact of pollution from all sources to tolerable levels by 2030, and integrating biodiversity into policies, regulations, planning and development processes.

• Despite calculations indicating about $200 billion would be required annually to achieve these targets, less than tenth of this money has actually been committed.

• Negotiators have decided to set up a subsidiary body that will include indigenous groups and peoples in discussions around conservation and biodiversity.

• India presented an updated biodiversity plan, stating it expects to spend around ₹81,664 crore from 2025-30 (FY) on biodiversity and conservation.

• To meet the higher financing requirements, India would require funds from sources beyond routine government expenditure.

• India has raised its Ramsar sites, which are wetlands of ecological importance under the Ramsar Convention, from 26 to 85 since 2014 and is projected to reach 100.