Negotiations on Biodiversity: The Story So Far

June 18, 2025

What should be done to ensure that biodiversity is conserved, used sustainably and benefits people who have protected it for centuries? Over 30 years ago, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was established to find answers and provide solutions to the problems being faced in conservation. But things have not improved through the years. Successive plans have failed, and the latest—the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), adopted in 2022— is also struggling. The framework has set 23 targets to be met by 2030 and 4 goals for 2050.

In an effort to meet the targets, the CBD has shifted gears. One notable change that happened at COP16 held in 2024, was the inclusion and recognistion of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). A new subsidiary body was created to discuss and collate solutions rooted in traditional knowledge. The involvement of indigenous people could be transformative, but whether this approach works will become clear only in 2030.