Letters | ‘Historic’ COP15 biodiversity deal risks being an empty promise
- Readers discuss the feasibility of the world’s new biodiversity goals, and how to solve a problem like teen gambling
Half of the world’s gross domestic product is intricately tied to nature. But human activity is driving the sixth mass extinction, leading to the largest loss of life since the dinosaurs died. Insect populations are declining by as much as 2 per cent every year, and extinction threatens 25 per cent of all plant and animal species.
Among the four goals and 23 targets, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework sets a “30x30” target, calling for the world to protect at least 30 per cent of the land and ocean area by 2030. While this was widely celebrated, conservationists believe the number is not ambitious enough to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Indigenous groups, on the other hand, worry that it will further erode traditional land rights.
An even bigger question is whether the countries can meet the new targets, given that most, if not all, of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets set out in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 were not met. Further, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework lacks methods for tracking and measuring progress. One can only hope world leaders are not simply making empty promises.
For Hong Kong, the time is now as the government prepares the next Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP). They need to learn from the last BSAP – which missed most of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets – and include a review mechanism to ensure that biodiversity conservation efforts can be effectively monitored.