Question

Biodiversity is being lost at a rate not seen since the last mass extinction. But the United Nations decade-old plan to slow down and eventually stop the decline of species and ecosystems by 2020 has failed. Most of the plan's 20 targets - known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targeto have not been met. The Aichi targcto arc part of an international agreement called the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. and member states are now finalizing replacements for them. Currently referred to as the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). its draft was published in July 2021. It aims to slow down the rate of biodiversity loss by 2030. And by 2050. biodiversity will be "valued. conserved. restored and wisely used. maintaining ecosystem services. sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people". The GBF is a comprehensive plan. But success will require systemic change across public policy. That is both a strength and a weakness. If systemic change can be implemented, it will lead to real change. But if it cannot, there's no plan B. This has led some researchers to argue that one target or number should be prioritized and defined in a way that is clear to the public and to policy makers. It would be biodiversity's equivalent of the 2°C climate target.