March 29, 2022   Geneva, Switzerland

The Geneva pre-meeting for The Convention on Biological Diversity COP15 is ending without resolving any key issues – finance, implementation or key targets, including protecting at least 30% of land and sea by 2030 (“30-by-30”), and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. 

Greenpeace East Asia senior policy advisor Li Shuo said: 

“The Geneva session leaves COP15 on shaky ground. With so little time to Kunming, Parties have finally kicked the can to the end of the road. This process has so far been ill-designed and underwhelming. Before Kunming, we need serious inter-sessional work to advance issues such as implementation and finance. 

“With so many outstanding issues, time is not on China’s side. As the COP15 president, China should work out a contingency plan to deliver a complex package with quality and ambition.”

Greenpeace International senior biodiversity campaign strategist An Lambrechts said:

“What we desperately need in the run-up to COP15 is ambition and a solid implementation framework. The time for distractions has run out. Backtracking on the 2010 Aichi targets is unacceptable. Not agreeing to mechanisms that ensure implementation is inexcusable. Protecting at least 30% of sea and land globally is a minimum and that can’t be done without Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and land rights front and centre.”