Ladies and Gentlemen,

The global decline in biodiversity is a problem. Ecosystems are being degraded everywhere, worsening the impact of climate change and amplifying the effects of droughts and floods. This destroys livelihoods, especially for the most vulnerable. Already 40% of the global population is negatively affected by land degradation. Therefore, global cooperation on biodiversity is crucial.

With the Global Biodiversity Framework, we have a landmark agreement to guide global action, with clear goals to stop biodiversity loss and species extinction, and to better protect land, sea, and rivers. 196 countries are involved to reverse the dangerous decline of nature impacting billions of people.

The global community is already making progress and achieving concrete results. 124 countries have aligned their national targets with the Global Biodiversity Framework, and this number is increasing. Discussions in Colombia also led to positive outcomes. We agreed to prioritize indigenous peoples and local communities as vital custodians of biodiversity. A global network was established to improve scientific and technical cooperation to halt biodiversity loss. The newly launched Cali Fund will share financial benefits with local and indigenous communities when using genetic materials sourced from natural ecosystems.

However, no agreement was reached on other issues at the last COP in Cali. As you know, at COP15 in 2022, we agreed to mobilize USD 200 billion per year by 2030 for biodiversity from all sources, including USD 30 billion through international finance. The EU is the largest international donor. Europe has even pledged to double its share of biodiversity funding. We will fulfill our commitments. No one questions this.

What is at stake now is how the financial landscape should look after 2030. The contentious point about resource mobilization is not about the amount of money but about choosing the most efficient way to disburse the funds and how as many sources and donors as possible can be encouraged to contribute. If the political will is there, I believe we should be able to bridge the divide. We are facing a tough international context, so the stakes are high.

It is important that the COP discussions today are resumed to find an agreement on an open process that can lead to an appropriate, coherent, and effective financial architecture beyond 2030. We need to maintain momentum to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework. It matters more than ever in the current geopolitical climate. The EU will work hard to find solutions and continue implementing this historic agreement until 2030 and beyond.

Thank you.