IN an unexpected convergence, the three major environmental Conference of the Parties (COPs) — Biodiversity COP16, Climate COP29 and Desertification COP16 — are occurring in the last three months of 2024. This presents a unique opportunity to underscore the interconnectedness of the crises they address. Climate instability, biodiversity loss, land degradation, desertification and drought are not isolated issues; they are deeply intertwined facets of a single planetary crisis.
As we navigate the convergence of these COPs, it is critical to emphasize that success in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation is directly tied to our ability to get the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track by 2030. The integrated solutions we promote through the Tri-COPs will be pivotal in advancing key SDGs.
Biodiversity
The Biodiversity COP16 is the first one, taking place in Colombia in October.
The COP16 isn’t expected to break new ground but is more a stocktake of progress since the last summit secured historic assurances for biodiversity. In 2022 in Montreal, nations agreed to place 30 percent of the planet under environmental protection by 2030 in a landmark pact aimed at arresting biodiversity loss and restoring ecosystems to health.
Described as the “first implementation COP” since the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in December 2022, governments will review the progress made in implementing the GBF, the number of updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, and the alignment of national targets with the framework.
Climate
The COP29 on Climate Change, which will take place in Azerbaijan in November, is a pivotal opportunity to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis. With global temperatures hitting record highs and extreme weather events affecting people around the globe, COP29 will bring together leaders from governments, businesses and civil society to find concrete solutions to the defining issue of our time.
While the last summit in Dubai in 2023 delivered a commitment to transition the world away from fossil fuels, a key focus of COP29 will be on finance, as trillions of dollars are required for countries to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening impacts of climate change. Current financial flows for climate change mitigation need to increase at least three times if we are to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius or below and achieve the Paris Agreement targets. COP29 offers an opportunity to unlock more climate investments from a wider range of public and private sources and to improve the quality of this finance.
Desertification
The Desertification COP16 is critical to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centered approach.
Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, COP16 will be the largest UN land conference to date, to be held in Saudi Arabia in December — a first for the Middle East and North Africa region, which recognizes firsthand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.
COP16 is poised to be a game-changer, marking a renewed global commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience for the benefit of people and the planet. The main focus areas of COP16 include land restoration, drought resilience, land at the heart of the SDGs, and women’s land rights.
Reflections
The Tri-COP underscores the critical interconnectedness of climate, biodiversity, and land and ecosystem restoration. There will be no stable climate without a stable natural environment, nor a sustainable future without healthy land. Climate instability, biodiversity loss and land degradation are interconnected crises, and so are the solutions. Protecting and restoring biodiversity, land and ecosystems enhances resilience, which, in turn, improves humanity’s ability to adapt to environmental change and more effectively manage its land, concurrently supporting climate mitigation and the reduction of greenhouse gases.
Land and ecosystem restoration and effective land management will help slow global warming; reduce the risk, scale, frequency and intensity of disasters; and facilitate the recovery of critical biodiversity habitat and ecological connectivity to avoid extinctions and restore the unimpeded movement of species and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth. Finance is critical to addressing the interconnected planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation.
The Tri-COPs are not only about environmental sustainability but also crucial for meeting the 2030 Agenda. Human activities are the root of our descent into chaos. Now is the time to transform humankind’s relationship with the natural world and with each other, and we must do so together.
The author is the United Nations Development Program’s resident representative in the Philippines.
