Opinion | Takeaways for Hong Kong from the hit-and-miss Cop16 nature summit
A nature-inclusive Hong Kong would attract talent and investment. The city’s government must mainstream biodiversity across sectors
While an agreement on a new Cali fund to share the revenue derived from “digital sequence information”, or genetic data from nature, with indigenous communities is a step forward, it is worrying that wider negotiations for nature funding were suspended. Without a solid finance strategy, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed at Cop15 faces an uncertain future, given that developed nations have fallen behind on their commitment to contribute US$20 billion annually to help developing countries with biodiversity efforts by 2025.
Cop16 made progress in two other areas. In a shift towards a whole-of-society approach, a “Mainstreaming Champions Group” of nations was formed to mainstream biodiversity across sectors, while a permanent body was created for indigenous communities to consult on UN biodiversity decisions.
There are important lessons here for Hong Kong. The government is updating the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP), and it has a critical responsibility to align with and contribute to the global target, prioritising biodiversity in all decision-making processes and promoting it across society.
The revised BSAP must go beyond a symbolic commitment to biodiversity. Conservation should not be viewed merely as an environmental issue; it is a vital matter that directly influences Hongkongers’ well-being, health and quality of life.
