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Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework – A Pathway to Living in Harmony with Nature
Living in Harmony with Nature by 2050
Care to Change the World
Introduction
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in December 2022 at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, marks a historic turning point in global efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. It replaces the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, which expired in 2020, and sets an ambitious vision for 2050: a world where humanity lives in harmony with nature. This framework is not only a response to the alarming rate of species extinction and ecosystem degradation but also a recognition that biodiversity underpins human well-being, economic prosperity, and planetary health.
The framework establishes four long-term goals for 2050, supported by twenty-three action-oriented targets to be achieved by 2030. These goals aim to protect and restore ecosystems, ensure sustainable use of biodiversity, share the benefits of genetic resources fairly, and secure adequate means of implementation. Among the most notable commitments is the pledge to conserve at least 30 percent of the world’s land and marine areas by 2030—a target widely known as “30 by 30.” This represents a significant expansion of protected areas and a major step toward safeguarding the planet’s ecological integrity.
Beyond conservation, the framework emphasizes the restoration of degraded ecosystems, the reduction of pollution, and the sustainable management of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. It calls for the elimination of harmful subsidies and the redirection of financial flows toward activities that support biodiversity. The framework also integrates biodiversity considerations into all sectors of the economy, recognizing that transformative change is needed across production and consumption systems to achieve its objectives.
Equity and inclusivity are central to the Kunming-Montreal Framework. It acknowledges the vital role of Indigenous peoples and local communities as stewards of biodiversity and commits to respecting their rights and traditional knowledge. It also highlights the importance of gender equality and youth engagement in biodiversity governance. These principles reflect a broader understanding that biodiversity conservation is not only an environmental issue but also a social and cultural imperative.
Financing and resource mobilization are critical components of the framework. Parties have agreed to increase financial resources for biodiversity from all sources, including public and private sectors, and to enhance international cooperation. The framework sets a target of mobilizing at least 200 billion US dollars annually for biodiversity-related activities by 2030, alongside commitments to reduce harmful subsidies by at least 500 billion dollars per year.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is more than a conservation plan; it is a blueprint for systemic change. It seeks to transform humanity’s relationship with nature, ensuring that ecosystems continue to provide the services upon which life depends. Its success will require unprecedented levels of political will, financial investment, and societal engagement. If fully implemented, the framework offers a pathway to a future where biodiversity thrives, ecosystems are resilient, and human societies flourish in balance with the natural world.
For more information, the official overview of the framework can be accessed at UNEP – Global Biodiversity Framework.
Interpretive Analysis.
Adopted at CBD COP15, Kunming‑Montreal (GBF) establishes four 2050 goals and twenty‑three 2030 targets, including conserving 30% of land and sea, restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems, reforming harmful subsidies by at least USD 500 billion per year, mobilizing USD 200 billion annually for biodiversity, and improving business disclosure of nature impacts (Target 15). A monitoring framework and a strengthened plan‑monitor‑review cycle accompany the text.
Since adoption, parties have begun aligning NBSAPs and operationalizing implementation mechanisms. COP16 (Cali 2024; resumed in Rome 2025) advanced a multilateral benefit‑sharing mechanism for digital sequence information (the “Cali Fund”) and created a permanent subsidiary body on Article 8(j) for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Negotiations also addressed resource‑mobilization architecture and the monitoring framework to improve transparency and accountability across targets.
To channel capital, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) under the GEF was launched in 2023 and, by mid‑2025, had attracted approximately USD 386 million in pledges from a mix of sovereign and subnational contributors, with project programming underway.
Alignment with Agenda for Social Equity 2074.
GBF’s recognition of Indigenous and local stewardship, equitable benefit‑sharing (including DSI), and social safeguards aligns with Agenda 2074’s equity standard. The framework’s targets on finance, disclosure, and subsidy reform can be implemented through Agenda 2074’s Social Global Goals to ensure that conservation gains do not externalize costs to vulnerable groups and that private‑sector transitions are accountable and just.
Complementarities and Gaps.
Kunming‑Montreal pairs naturally with Paris (nature‑based mitigation/adaptation), Sendai (ecosystem‑based disaster risk reduction), and Addis (domestic resource mobilization and fiscal reform). Gaps persist in enforceability, sufficiency and predictability of finance, and the translation of Targets 15 and 18 into binding corporate‑reporting and subsidy‑review laws at national level. The evolving role of GBFF and ongoing COP decisions will be decisive for bankable delivery.
Implications for Policymakers, Business, and Civil Society.
Governments should finalize NBSAP alignment, legislate land‑/sea‑use planning for 30×30, and enact time‑bound subsidy‑reform reviews with reallocation to positive incentives; finance ministries should integrate GBF targets into budget circulars and public‑investment codes. Companies should implement due‑diligence and disclosure systems consistent with Target 15 and emerging nature‑related reporting, linking capital expenditure to no‑net‑loss or nature‑positive trajectories. Civil society and IPLCs require resourced roles in monitoring and benefit‑sharing for legitimacy and effectiveness.
Primary documents: COP15 Decision 15/4 – GBF (official text); CBD GBF portal (overview & monitoring framework); [COP16 outcomes: CBD & IISD summaries]; GEF – Global Biodiversity Framework Fund.
