The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is taking place in Cali, Colombia from 21 October to 1 November, to provide a focus for discussion for countries to set a plan to meet targets.

In the UK there has been some progress made since 2022: in England, Biodiversity Net Gain is now a legal requirement for development, interest in regenerative farming is growing, with rising attendance at events such as Groundswell, and in Scotland, preparation for private investment is underway under FIRNS (The Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland).

Galbraith is working on many of these schemes and projects and other innovative schemes, yet challenges remain which are holding back progress towards biodiversity targets.

There are three main target areas under the framework

  • Reducing threats to biodiversity;
  • Meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and benefit-sharing; and
  • Tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming – that is, gaining momentum and wider acceptance.

Reducing threats is the most practical area, focusing on hands-on measures such as restoration projects, planning to reduce biodiversity loss and tackle invasive species. These practical steps are commonly the focus of nature based projects, and the challenges can be highly specific to the area.

Two challenges common to many projects are funding and willingness. A vision can only take a project so far: without funding, little can be done and projects are kept small. The need for projects to find land area for nature is a key element, space is finite and much land is already occupied, so finding ways to work with biodiversity is crucial, as is finding ways to work biodiversity into a tenancy.

A key part of meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and benefit-sharing is enhancing biodiversity through agriculture and forestry. Regenerative and nature-friendly farming have important roles to play. Recent research on barriers to regenerative farming by Hurley and others found that farmers consider lack of knowledge, financial risk, labour demands, and expensive infrastructure/equipment are all barriers to uptake of regenerative practices.

In England, the Sustainable Farming Incentive goes some way to address these, and events such as Groundswell provide the basis for knowledge gathering. Additional central funding and support for learning would assist farmers to undertake more regenerative practices and meet this target at pace.

Tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming are more focused on structural change than other targets.

The Taskforce on Nature related Financial Disclosure – a market-led, science-based initiative supported by national governments, businesses and financial institutions worldwide – is a growing driver for improvement, but knowledge and legislation are needed to make change happen at the rate required to meet targets.

In our building surveying department, biodiversity is always a consideration and we would welcome additional support to make biodiversity a key thought in all decision making. The economy and business have for too long acted without adequate thought for impacts on biodiversity.

(Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Themes and Targets, thanks to: The Wildlife Trusts)

At Galbraith, we are working to develop biodiversity markets, and we understand the role of biodiversity at every level.