Interviews

Stopping biodiversity loss is only possible through system change

Interview with Theiva Lingam from Friends of the Earth, on the new Global Biodiversity Framework

Kelvin Helen Haboski / Shutterstock. Soy harvest in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Image used in report "Replanting Agricultural Biodiversity in the CBD" by FoEI. Kelvin Helen Haboski / Shutterstock. Soy harvest in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Image used in report "Replanting Agricultural Biodiversity in the CBD" by FoEI.

The United Nations 2022 conference on biodiversity, widely known as the COP15, has adopted the new Global Biodiversity Framework, which will be in force until 2030.

In the early hours of 19 December, the Chinese representative acting as President of the talks brought down the gavel to approve the new framework, ignoring opposition from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the consensus required for its adoption.

On the grounds that there were no formal objections, the new framework was approved. It was met with broad criticism by social movements, who have denounced the corporate capture of the space, the promotion of agribusiness and industrial agriculture (one of the sectors most responsible for biodiversity loss worldwide) and false solutions, such as ‘nature-based solutions’ and ‘nature positive’)

As the talks concluded, Friends of the Earth International issued a statement calling the new Global Biodiversity Framework “not fit for purpose”. The environmental federation also held a press conference the following day.

Real World Radio covered the negotiations from Canada. In an interview, Theiva Lingam from Friends of the Earth International said: “There seems to be a lot of corporate influence in the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity). In the new text there are no regulations to address key drivers [of biodiversity loss] and there are a lot of greenwashing measures, such as offsetting and nature based solutions, self-reporting and self-certification.”

(CC) 2022 Real World Radio