Glossary

• $20Bx2025, $20 billion USD by 2025 – A key funding target in the KM-GBF to kick-start its implementation. However, governments, especially rich countries, are lagging behind, widening the financing gap and jeopardizing implementation.
• 30×30  – A global target set by the KM-GBF in 2022 to protect at least 30% of land and 30% of marine areas by 2030. In some regions, such as the Amazon biome or the Indonesian province of West Papua, there is even a need to go far beyond 30×30 – for example 80×25 in the Amazon, which means that at least 80% of the Amazon rainforest must be protected by 2025. 30×30 is a global minimum target, although some areas will need much more protection much sooner.
• AFOLU, Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use  – A UNFCCC term for activities related to land use, with existing methodologies for reporting.
• Biodiversity credits  – tokens generated by projects that protect species or natural habitats. They can be sold to companies, governments or other institutions that want to finance such projects and at the same time receive credit for environmental benefits. The Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA) was established to develop a credible and scalable market structure for biodiversity credits that meets the needs of different market participants, including indigenous peoples and local communities. It was launched during COP 15 in Montreal in December 2022 with the aim of promoting private investment in biodiversity.
• Biodiversity finance gap  – The discrepancy between available funds and what would be needed to implement global biodiversity conservation measures, estimated at around USD 700  billion annually.
  • The current draft of the post-2020 CBF proposes that reducing financial incentives, including harmful subsidies to biodiversity, by at least USD 500 billion will be critical to closing this gap.
  • Many proposed financing measures to close the biodiversity finance gap include specific calculations for funding sources from carbon offsets, biodiversity offsets as well as innovative solutions such as the DSI mechanism.
  • Several donor countries that have made biodiversity finance pledges refer to funds that were already earmarked for climate action; this is a grey area that carries a high risk of double counting their contributions.
• Cali Fund  – The Cali Fund aims to support eligible Parties to the CBD, idigenous people and local communities in the implementation of the Kunming-Montral Global Biodiversity Framework. It relies on the private sector as principal contributors for their use of DSI.
• CBD, Convention on Biological Diversity  – This UN framework aims to protect biodiversity, ensure its sustainable use and share the benefits of genetic resources equitably. The CBD chairs the COP conferences, including the 16th conference (COP16) in Cali (Colombia) in October/November 2024.
• Common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR)  – A principle of environmental law that states that all countries bear responsibility for global environmental problems, but not to the same extent. Set out in the articles of the CBD.
• Direct access to finance for indigenous peoples and local communities  – Indigenous peoples and local communities are often the most effective biodiversity conservationists, but rarely receive the necessary funding to protect their territories.
• DSI, Digital Sequence Information  – Data that play an important role in science, agriculture, medicine and biotechnology. Fair remuneration for their use was a topic at CBD COP16.
• EBSAs, Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas  – A term for marine areas with high conservation value. Governments have committed to protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030 as part of the KM-GBF. The process of identifying EBSAs has been ongoing for at least 10 years. The area descriptions are stored in a repository (directory) at the UN and can then hopefully serve as a basis for designating protected areas on the high seas (i.e. in international waters). COP 16 was therefore no longer about the identification of EBSAs.
• Ecosystem integrity – The ability of an ecosystem to support and maintain ecological processes and a diverse community of organisms.
• Ecosystem-based approaches – Strategies for integrated management of land, water and living resources to promote conservation and sustainable use in an equitable manner.
• Global Oceans Treaty – A UN agreement that aims to protect the global oceans and comes into force after ratification by at least 60 governments.
• Global Review – A collective assessment of the progress made by Parties in implementing the CBD.
• HRBA, Human Rights-based Approaches – A framework developed by IPBES that draws on international human rights standards to promote and protect human development.
• Intersessional period  –  The time between two COPs during which preparatory or follow-up work is carried out.
• IPBES, The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services – This organization improves the interface between science and policy on biodiversity issues and supports the work of the CBD. IPBES is administered by UNEP and only UN member states can become members. IPBES is independent of the CBD.
• IPCC – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.
• IPLCs, Indigenous Peoples and local communities – A term in the CBD and KM-GBF for indigenous peoples and local communities that often protect significant biodiversity.
  • Terrestrial protected areas and ecologically intact ecosystems are often managed by Indigenous people, with at least 12% of the world’s forest area being owned by indigenous communities.
  • Rights-based conservation solutions aim to secure traditional land tenure, strengthen community self-governance and provide direct funding to indigenous and traditional custodians to enable the conservation of nature by communities who have often been conserving biodiversity in their local context for generations.
• ITPGRFA, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture  – The objectives of the ITPGRFA are the conservation and sustainable use of all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, for sustainable agriculture and food security.
• KM-GBF, The Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework – Decision of COP 15, not a stand-alone agreement or protocol requiring separate accession. The decision sets targets to halt biodiversity loss by 2030, with long-term targets up to 2050.
• MPAs (Marine Protected Areas) – areas in the sea with special protection status that are part of the 30×30 target.
• multilateral – refers to an approach or agreement involving three or more countries or parties, especially in the context of international relations, trade, or diplomacy, where all participants work together on common issues or goals.
• Nature positive – An ambiguous term that aims to offset biodiversity loss but has no specific criteria.
• Nbs, Nature-based solutions – A technical term for measures that use natural processes to combat climate change or biodiversity conservation (e.g. restoration measures), but often without strong protections for land rights.
• NBSAPs, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans – National strategies of governments (“Parties” to the Convention) that set targets and measures to protect biodiversity and are based on the global biodiversity targets of the KM-GBF. Strategies are often designed for a longer period than individual action plans, which are revised more quickly. Membership of the CBD requires the submission of an NBSAP. The NBS (National Biodiversity Strategy) defines the national targets and often covers a period of up to 15 or 20 years. The Action Plan (AP) lists the measures to be taken to achieve the targets and can have a much shorter term and then be quickly renewed without announcing new targets. Example: The goal would be to reduce nitrate pollution of water bodies in Germany by x% by 2030. The measure would be to amend the Fertilizer Ordinance in 2025 and tighten the violation immediately. Further measures could then be included in the 2027-2030 action plan, which would lead further towards the target after the first measures have already been taken. NBSAP is therefore a package of targets and suitable implementation measures. And it must be submitted by every CBD member state, as was the case even before KM-GBF, for example to implement the Aichi Targets by 2020.
• NRR, Nature Restoration Regulation  – The NRR is an EU law and a key element of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which sets binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems, in particular those with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters.
• OECMs, Other effective area-based conservation measures – These are not protected areas, but areas that also contribute to biodiversity conservation, although they are not officially designated. Ex: Areas that BUND buys and maintains, but which are not nature reserves. Or private forests in the tropics that are simply left alone. The idea was to recognize the conservation efforts that take place outside of state protected areas.
• Offsets – Offsets were not a direct topic of negotiation in Cali, as neither the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) nor the CM-GBF have established a negotiating framework for an equivalent to carbon market mechanisms (as provided by the UNFCCC under the Paris Agreement).
  • There is no definition or clear methodology for biodiversity offsets.
  • However, many governments and conservation groups include carbon offsets and even biodiversity offsets (which do not yet exist) in their calculations.
• SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals  – The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations in 2015. These Goals include social, economical and ecological topics calling to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.
• WHO , World health organization  – Founded in 1948 by the UN, the WHO currently has 194 Member states (01.2025). The organization aims to monitor infectious diseases globally, it collects and analyses epidemiological data, compiles health statistics, and promotes health education in developing countries.