Process for 12 SDG Biodiversity Targets.

WWF has published a discussion paper outlining possible options and decision-making steps for the revision of the 12 Sustainable Development Goals related to the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Convention on Biological Diversity (Aichi), being given that they will “mature” in 2020. The Assembly process (UNGA) to decide on an approach to these Sustainable Development Goals and CBD post-2020 negotiations need to be clarified as soon as possible, write the authors, to avoid misaligned sets of CBD objectives and post-2020 sustainable development goals.

WWF notes that, based on current progress on the 12 SDG targets, it is unlikely that most of them will be achieved by 2020. The document, therefore, calls for a “clear and coherent” process to extend implementation efforts to 2030. The authors stress that discussions on these goals should begin “well before 2020” to ensure buy-in from stakeholders and policymakers.

The discussion paper explains that at the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (CBD COP 15), to be held in China in October 2020, governments should agree on a post-2020 framework including targets for achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Therefore, at the same time, the United Nations General Assembly needs to agree how the 2020 SDG targets for 2020 will be aligned with the overall 2030 Agenda, which will need to be decided at the next meeting. United Nations high-level political forum on sustainable development. (FPHN) when it meets under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019.

The document includes a table providing a detailed analysis of five options for action to achieve the fully mature goals, establishing efficiencies, time-frames, political acceptance and overall contribution to the results of the Sustainable Development Goals. The five options are:

• Do nothing (which, according to the WWF, is a “non-option”)
• Extend the delivery date;
• Agree on the content of extended and updated targets;
• Agree on the process to extend and update the objectives; and
• Reopen the SDG framework (which, according to the WWF, is also a “no-option”).

WWF notes that failure to agree quickly on a coherent process can threaten the success of the post-2020 environmental goals under the SDGs. According to the document, without these goals, the achievement of all other sustainable development goals is “impossible” because a strong environmental pillar is “the foundation for the survival and well-being of humanity”.

An annex to the document lists the 21 objectives of the 2030 Agenda that have a deadline of 2020 or no deadline and identify the 12 of those that incorporate elements of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Targets under targets 2 (zero hunger), 6 (drinking water and sanitation), 12 (responsible consumption and production), 14 (submerged life) and 15 (land life).

Source: SDG Knowledge Hub.