Catch up on the main nature policy news from June
In a nutshell: Canada publishes its NBSAP / New CBD Secretary / Developments around deep seabed mining / GEF Council approves new funds for biodiversity / EU nature policy landscape
Canada’s publishes its updated NBSAP
Canada has become the ninth country to revise and release an updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) since the adoption of the Biodiversity Plan. The new plan has six pillars: recognizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples as nature custodians, ensuring a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, supporting a resilient economy, empowering on-the-ground action, using best available science, and applying a integrated approaches to ensure action for nature is inclusive.
The NBSAP recognizes that the private sector has “an important responsibility” in the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan, by minimizing impacts on biodiversity and helping to advance, finance and mobilize knowledge and action.
Regarding Target 15 implementation, the strategy indicates that the government will monitor developing international frameworks and standards, as well as conduct national consultations,to inform how to support the implementation of biodiversity-related disclosures through legal, administrative or policy measures. Additionally, the government plans to utilize future mandatory climate-related financial disclosures as a “building block” to prepare companies for nature disclosures.
Astrid Schomaker assumes her role as Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Astrid Schomaker has officially assumed the role as Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Before this, Schomaker was the Director for Green Diplomacy and Multilateralism with the European Commission in Brussels.
She also oversaw implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as the integration of biodiversity and pollution in engagement with various stakeholders.
The new Executive Secretary will work with the Colombian presidency to ensure that the outcomes of Biodiversity COP16 accelerate action “at all levels” to implement the Biodiversity Plan.
Deep seabed mining: Norway prepares first licensing round while Greece joins call for a global moratorium
In a few weeks, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is set to resume negotiations on draft regulation for deep-sea mining, a set of rules to regulate prospecting, exploration and potential exploitation of seabed materials. Currently, there’s no consensus amongst countries on opening the deep sea for mining activities and the discussion remains divisive.
For instance, while to date 27 countries have called for a moratorium on deep seabed mining, others are advancing discussions to enable exploration and eventual exploitation. A recent example are the developments on the topic in Greece and Norway.
In parallel, the Norwegian government presented a proposal for the first licensing round of seabed exploration for mining, in 386 blocks in the Artic. This announcement was met with backlash from scientists and environmental organizations, being called “environmentally irresponsible” by WWF Norway. This aligns with a global demand by civil society, youth, many companies and a growing list of countries that are asking for a comprehensive scientific understanding and assessment of the risks, impacts and consequences of deep-sea mining.
Indeed, Greece became the 27th country to support a precautionary pause, moratorium or ban on deep-sea mining, joining countries like Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Ecuador, France, Fiji, Palau and Samoa, among others.
So far, 49 companies have signed a business statement calling for a moratorium on deep seabed mining activities, committing to not source materials from the deep seabed.
GEF Council approves new biodiversity funds
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council approved new funding for biodiversity, including projects to implement the High Seas Treaty. The Council approved nearly $170 million for efforts to address biodiversity loss, such as protection efforts in protected areas in Argentina, Namibia and South Africa. The bulk of the approved financing is directed towards climate change adaptation projects across 20 Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
The Council also approved $700,000 to support efforts in the Marshall Islands, Palau, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu to implement the High Seas Treaty, which is essential to implement the Biodiversity Plan but is yet to be ratified. Only eight countries (including Palau, Chile and Seychelles) out of the 89 signatory countries have officially ratified it. To come into force, it must be ratified by at least 60 countries.
Changes in the EU nature policy landscape
The European Parliament elections saw right-wing and far- right parties make gains while the Greens suffered losses, having a particularly poor performance in France and Germany.
While centrist parties still hold a majority out of the 720 Members of Parliament , the stronger presence of right-wing parties could jeopardise ambitious nature and climate policies. It’s unlikely that the new Parliament will dismantle key climate policy, but it’s possible that emerging legislation is slowed down and less ambitious overall, according to policy analyses.
One of the key legislations that the EU managed to approve just before this shift is the Nature Restoration Law (NRL), a landmark deal to restore degraded ecosystems across the EU.
Although approved by the European Parliament earlier this year, the deal was put in jeopardy in the EU Council, where it lost majority support. After months of negotiations among the union’s environment ministers, the NRL was adopted, with Austria’s last-minute support being decisive for the law to pass.
As a result of opposition against the NRL, the approved text is watered-down from the initial proposal, particularly because of the inclusion of an “emergency brake” if perceived targets threaten food security.
The Nature Restoration Law aims to restore at least 20% of land and sea areas by 2030, as well as all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. Specifically, it requires EU countries to restore at least 30% of habitats covered by the new law (from forests, grasslands and wetlands to rivers, lakes and coral beds) by 2030, increasing to 60% by 2040, and 90% by 2050.
Read the May news update to catch up on previous nature policy stories from around the world.