Convention on Biological Diversity

Opened the debate

The MP welcomed the new Deputy Speaker, congratulated Mary Creagh on her new role as Minister for nature and thanked her for attending an International Conservation Caucus meeting. He emphasised that the natural world is the foundation of everything we have and stressed the need to recognise that economic systems are a subset of nature's ecosystem services. Gardiner highlighted the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) established in 1992, aiming at conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. He noted that despite CBD setting important goals and targets, the current state of biodiversity is concerning with species extinction accelerating. The UK committed to protecting 30% of land, seas, and inland waterways by 2030 but only 5% of land is effectively protected for nature. Gardiner advocated for a robust and ambitious NBSAP (National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan), inclusive participation in decision-making processes involving indigenous peoples and local communities, mandatory reporting against the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures, and suggested that the UK should host COP17 in London to mobilise financial flows. He concluded by emphasising the need for rights of nature.

Government Response

Minister Mary Creagh congratulated the Deputy Speaker on her election and thanked Barry Gardiner for his kind words. She highlighted the importance of international partnerships to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The Minister acknowledged the decline in UK’s bird and mammal species, polluted rivers and seas, and pledged that this Labour Government will deliver a plan to hit Environment Act targets by halting species decline by 2030 and protecting 30% of land and seas. She mentioned a nature recovery project called Purple Horizons and confirmed the intention to focus on nature in upcoming spending reviews. The Minister emphasised that nature is central to the Government’s missions, including net zero targets and job training for new industries. At COP15, 196 countries agreed the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to halt biodiversity loss by 2030; she confirmed a senior UK delegation will attend COP16 in Colombia this October. She outlined three priorities: negotiations on digital sequence information aiming at benefits for genetic data contributors, implementation of GBF through publishing NBSAPs, and mobilising finance from all sources including an initial £10 million contribution by the UK to the new global biodiversity framework fund.