The nineteenth ordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment convened leaders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss opportunities to enhance collaboration to address environmental challenges in Africa.
At the conclusion of the session, African ministers issued a declaration (attached) resolving to take concrete actions on a range of critical issues.
Significantly, the ministers called for enhanced efforts to increase nature financing, noting the essential role that finance will play in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) that was adopted in December 2022 and headlined by the target to protect or conserve at least 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030.
Of particular note, the ministers committed to joint advocacy efforts to help fully close the biodiversity funding gap of $700 billion USD and increase international finance flows to developing countries to at least $20 billion USD by 2025.
This $20 billion figure marks roughly a doubling of current international biodiversity finance flows and is the fastest approaching target in the GBF.
It will serve as a crucial test of whether the world is on track to successfully confront the biodiversity crisis that threatens up to one million species with extinction. The ministers underscored the importance of meeting this critical benchmark while noting that ultimately international finance flows will have to further increase significantly.
In response to this declaration, the following leaders issued statements:
“Last year, the world agreed to a historic and ambitious plan to confront global biodiversity loss. The success of this plan depends on whether the world keeps its promise to significantly increase financing for nature. We all must do our part and work urgently to ensure that the biodiversity finance gap is fully closed. As a first step, this must include delivering the commitment to increase international finance to developing countries to at least $20 billion USD by 2025.”
- Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment of the Arabic Republic of Egypt
“It was inspiring to see Africa united around prioritizing efforts to implement the global biodiversity agreement adopted last year in Montreal. Global targets like protecting at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030 will help us confront global biodiversity loss and climate change while supporting economic growth and public health. But achieving the world’s biodiversity targets will depend on significant increases in nature finance. The first test will be whether the world “keeps its promise” to increase international finance to the global south, where the majority of our biodiversity lives, to at least $20 billion USD by 2025. This alone won’t be enough, but in order to make any progress toward solving our biodiversity and climate crises Africa has to speak with a unified voice to underscore the importance of delivering this commitment and work tirelessly to fully close the biodiversity finance gap.”
- Kina Murphy, Africa Lead and Scientific Advisor for the Campaign for Nature
