Gan Robin Llewellyn [darllen yn Gymraeg]
The 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (otherwise known as COP16), ended last Friday in Cali, Colombia.
With its official motto of Paz con la Naturaleza ("Peace with Nature"), it had been hoped that it would establish funding for 23 targets previously agreed in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
At COP15 in Montreal, developed countries promised to pay $20 billion a year by 2025 to support biodiversity in developing countries, where the highest concentrations of biodiversity are found.
Only a fraction of the necessary money has emerged from COP16, however, leading many to brand the Conference a failure. But there was progress in other areas, with indigenous peoples gaining greater influence, and the world’s attention being turned as never before towards the reluctance of governments to stop practices which harm biodiversity, and to join the dots – a week before the 29th United Nations Climate Conference – between biodiversity and climate change.
Here in the Dyfi Biosphere we have the Penllyn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation, Cors Fochno and Coed Cwm Einion which are our core areas for biodiversity, as well as the seven SSSIs which make up the buffer zone, while in Colombia the city of Cali is next to the Farallones de Cali National Park. All these protected areas are home to high levels of biodiversity but are under pressure from threats including invasive species and climate change.
The Welsh Government published its plans to confront the causes and consequences of climate change to coincide with the event, and confirmed its commitment to meet the COP16 goal of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030 (a target known as 30 x 30).
During COP16 however the world press reported that biodiversity loss has actually increased at a higher rate within protected areas than in other zones, showing how statutory advances can be meaningless on their own. The RSPB, which runs the Ynys-hir reserve, has called for more urgent action in Wales.
In the north of the Dyfi Biosphere “individuals, organisations, recorders and community and wildlife groups who have extensive knowledge on the biodiversity of the Eryri National Park” can participate in the Eryri Nature Partnership, while Gwynedd council operates a similar partnership for those living outside the park to increase knowledge and raise awareness through the Natur Gwynedd Biodiversity Action Plan.
Powys and Ceredigion also seek to engage individuals, businesses and organizations in protecting biodiversity, and nationally the Wales Biodiversity Partnership has an information page describing how we can all make space for nature in our daily lives. Wildlife Trusts Wales has produced a similar guide, and also a report outlining the steps that it wants to see the Welsh Government take in order to reverse nature loss in Wales.
The role for the UNESCO Biospheres was addressed at a side event, outlined as “building strong information ecosystems, [and] raising public awareness about facts and knowledge on risks and opportunities related to biodiversity.” In the spirit of UNESCO, this meant collaboration between scientists and professionals from the media and culture sector.
In the Dyfi Biosphere we have seen how climate change is affecting the local area, and how land use will have to change. Current initiatives in the area are supporting the development of agroecology, confirmed as being a significant boost for biodiversity, and the development of the local food economy to reduce food miles.
Raising of awareness of these projects, and of the community initiatives such as electric car share clubs in Machynlleth and Penrhyncoch, community gardening and waste-management schemes, is part of building a strong information ecosystem. It is important also to shine a light on the challenges that our lifestyles and local economies present to biodiversity. Most of the land area of the Biosphere is dedicated to producing resources which are exported from the local area and from Wales, while most food consumed here is imported.
Despite a stream of official reports, relevant publications, and online debates and opinions, discussions on biodiversity have hitherto made little headway on the surrounding systems of legislation, tax and subsidies that shape our food, land use, and transport.
By its very failure to come up with the funding, though, COP16 may have stimulated the global debate. The host country Colombia, for instance, had included a reference to transitioning away from fossil fuels in an early draft agreement, only to see it removed. Colombia had already terminated fracking and has reduced petrol subsidies.
Few governments are likely to find this comfortable – the Colombian government’s plans to massively develop the water-thirsty and export-oriented avocado sector have been strongly criticised, for instance.
In Wales too, there are gaps between official promises and concrete achievements. The Welsh government promised to place the protection of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) at the heart of planning decisions, for example, but that did not prevent the internationally important peat uplands of Garn Fach near Newtown being developed as a windfarm.
With the next Biodiversity Conference, COP17, to be held in Armenia in two years, the sharing of success stories and the development of strong information ecosystems on biodiversity will play a key role in reversing biodiversity loss – and that is what our Biosphere can do.
A last word should go to UNESCO, who took their message to the people of Cali with an exhibition about Biospheres:
“Biodiversity and culture are deeply intertwined…we aim to show that protecting nature means safeguarding the cultural heritage and knowledge systems that have coexisted with these ecosystems for millennia,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. “Preserving UNESCO-designated sites fosters peace between humanity and nature.”
Image: Aberdyfi otter by Paul Fowles
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