Commissioner Roswalls address at the high-level side event ‘Road to Biodiversity COP17 in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly

Distinguished delegates, Excellencies, colleagues, friends,

The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the COP15 in 2022 was a milestone for nature.

Together with the Paris Agreement, the world has a clear roadmap for addressing the triple ecological emergency of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

Todays geopolitical tensions make taking action more difficult – but they dont make it any less urgent. Or any less imperative.

The science could not be any clearer. Nor could the evidence before our eyes as we look around the world.

So I want to thank Armenia and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity for gathering us here today.

The Global Biodiversity Framework includes strong provisions for monitoring and reviewing implementation.

These strike a careful balance: no country wants to be blamed or shamed.

No country likes to be told what to do.

At the same time, we need to be able to track the implementation and identify where we need to step up efforts.

We also need to inspire each other by showing what works and what doesnt,

This isnt about pointing the finger; its about offering a helping hand.

And yes, the Global Biodiversity Framework is ambitious.

We will all have to increase our efforts, including the EU.

This will be challenging in the current geopolitical environment. Governments are trying to balance less funding with more priorities, including security.

But we need to be determined, not discouraged. Creative, not constrained.  

And remember, this is not a cost – it is an investment in our future, and the future of our planet.

It is an investment in our economies and our resilience.

There is no more urgent or more worthy goal.

It is also the very definition of a shared challenge – it demands shared solutions.

So lets intensify our cooperation in order to find innovative, effective answers to this crisis.

Let me share two examples and ideas.

Earlier this year, the EU published a Roadmap for Nature Credits – which has the potential to generate significant biodiversity financing.

Putting a value on something as invaluable as nature is not easy.

But today, far too much nature is lost because no price is put on it at all.

Nature is seen as a free good that we can take from indefinitely.

We price stocks instead of soil health, and portfolios instead of pollinators.

That needs to change – and I urge you all to join us in ensuring that the economic value of nature is properly considered.

My second example concerns the bioeconomy.

The EU intends to launch a new strategy later this year that will prioritise research and innovation, as well as sustainability and circularity.

We need to make the most of the biomass we have so we can have a flourishing bioeconomy while reducing pressure on the environment.

Bioeconomy is discussed in many places these days – but lets ensure that it contributes to the implementation of the Global Framework.

Let me also add a few words on one other important agenda item for CBD COP17.

COP16 set up the Cali Fund for sharing the benefits from the use of Digital Sequence Information.

This is an unprecedented innovation in the biodiversity financing landscape. And I commend the Secretariat for the swift operationalisation of the new fund.

Now, it is up to companies to voluntarily contribute to it.

From our European stakeholders, we hear there is willingness to contribute.

EU companies support the principles behind the fund, and a payment is relatively simple compared to other alternatives that have been considered.

But we also hear concerns about the rates and about legal clarity.

I am strongly committed to making the Cali Fund a success and ready to work with all of you towards that end.

That starts with a deep understanding of companies reservations. And then, together, we can develop the right solutions.

Dear colleagues,

Biodiversity and the worlds ecosystems are central to our daily lives – to our financial stability, to our economies and to our futures.

So I look forward to working with Armenia on making the COP in Yerevan a resounding success.

But before then, I strongly encourage all of you to fully engage in this political process.

There is no plan B, there is no alternative, there is no other solution.

Thank you.