Nature, climate and land

All you need to know about this year’s three big environmental conferences

The climate crisis, biodiversity loss, land degradation, desertification and drought are deeply intertwined facets of the planetary crisis.

With most of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) currently off track, we must urgently act to tackle this crisis and secure a livable future.

This year, three major environmental Conferences of the Parties (COPs) are occurring within six weeks of each other.

They represent a unique opportunity to tackle our most pressing issues, head on, and together. The challenges we face don’t exist in isolation and neither do the solutions. The outcome of the COPs is critical to our future.

Here’s what you need to know.

21 October – 1 November

COP16

UN Biodiversity Conference

UNDP at COP16

11 November – 22 November

COP29

UN Climate Change Conference

UNDP at COP29

2 December – 13 December

COP16

UN Desertification Conference

UNDP at COP16

Biodiversity

Cali, Colombia

21 October – 1 November

First out of the gate is the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP16, starting on 21 October.

Why is it important?

It will review the progress made on the Global Biodiversity Plan.

Which is?

An historic agreement made at the last biodiversity COP in Montreal to create "a world living in harmony with nature" by 2050.

Sounds good. How’s that going to happen?

The "30x30" target will protect 30 percent of land and sea by 2030 and restore 30 percent of damaged ecosystems. Another target commits to cutting harmful subsidies, such as the money we still throw at the polluting agricultural industry, by US$500 billion a year.

Are these realistic goals?

Yes. And we not only can, we must reach them. Failing ecosystems quickly flip from carbon sinks to carbon emitters. We could reach net zero but still face catastrophic climate change if we’ve neglected to protect and restore the world’s ecosystems, such as those that regulate ocean temperatures and protect pollinators and drinkable water.

UNDP’s Nature Pledge works with countries to make these ambitious targets a reality.

What will we get for all this?

Nature-positive economies will generate up to US$10.1 trillion every year for businesses and create 395 million jobs by 2030. Opportunities will be unlocked by transforming the industries that are responsible for almost 80 percent of nature loss – energy, food, clothing, infrastructure, and mining.

Brush up on your biodiversity vocabulary with the Climate Dictionary: Nature Edition.
Climate Change

Baku, Azerbaijan

11 November – 22 November

Next is the UN Climate Change Conference, COP29, which kicked off on 11 November.

Why is it important?

Because this year we began a very important conversation about money for developing countries – both how much is needed to address climate change, and who will be providing it.

Renewables are now the cheapest form of energy. But transitioning the entire world to power from the sun and the wind, in a just way, requires smart investment. So will adapting to the unavoidable impacts of climate change and helping those who are affected to rebuild.

This COP was expected to figure out how to get more money where it is needed most – to those vulnerable to climate change. While traditional developed country donors were put on the spot, other innovative approaches were also on the table. One is to take a hard look at how harmful and grossly extravagant subsidies, such as for fossil fuels and industrial agriculture, are fanning the flames of the climate crisis.

How much is a healthy climate going to cost?

A number of estimates and analysis have been done to define the needs. However, nobody knows for sure. But it is critical that, in Baku, world leaders agree on a new finance goal to support developing countries. African leaders and many G77 countries are requesting at least US$1.3 trillion in climate finance a year. That’s not just to transition to a low emissions reality, but also to build resilience, since we’ve already crossed critical planetary boundaries.

What we do know is that the bill will be much, much cheaper than doing nothing. Investments in climate action and the protection, sustainable use and restoration of nature yield results that dramatically outweigh the upfront costs.

Where do these money trees grow?

Finance is required for addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. It must align with the global reforms being discussed at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, which are crucial to ensuring that the money required for the SDGs is used effectively.

We need financial architecture that works for the 21^st century – investments that align with the SDGs and the Paris Agreement.

The United Nations is calling for action through the SDG Stimulus plan, Bridgetown Initiatives, and for proper funding for the Loss and Damages Fund for Developing Countries.

What is the Baku outcome?

The COP29 outcome, termed the “Baku Climate Unity Pact” underscores the need for a collective global response. While the pace might not fully match the urgency of the challenge, it demonstrates that the Paris Agreement remains essential.

After a hard fought two weeks of negotiations, countries landed an agreement of US$300 billion a year to developing countries for their climate ambitions.

While many countries argued that this was still insufficient, it represents just a floor and not a ceiling. The true cost of meaningful climate action is much higher.

This new ‘Baku Finance Goal’ will be at the core of a wider effort to collectively scale up public and private finance to developing countries to US$1.3 trillion per year by 2035.

This negotiations has also resulted in meaningful progress on other key issues, including on setting the rules for carbon markets, which have the potential to be transformative.

Explore what climate finance is all about and why we urgently need more of it.
Desertification

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

2 December – 13 December

Lastly is the UN Conference on Desertification, COP16, starting 2 December.

Why is it important?

Healthy topsoil not only underpins all life on Earth – it’s an essential ally in the climate fight. It can take up to a thousand years to make just 2.5 centimetres of topsoil, and we are losing it at alarming rates. Every second around the world, an area equivalent to four football fields of healthy land becomes degraded.

So, this is, almost literally, the bedrock COP?

As the Cree people of North America say, “you can’t eat money”. There will be no stable climate without a stable natural environment, nor a sustainable future without healthy land. Likewise, we can’t tackle poverty, food and water security, or even human rights without the earth beneath our feet.

The desertification COP is the global voice for land and drought resilience and is related to one of the three major UN treaties known as the Rio Conventions. Its aim is to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030.

What role does UNDP play in the COPs?

UNDP’s Peoples’ Climate Vote found that 86 percent of people want countries to set aside their differences and work together on climate change.

We support countries to develop, implement and align their Nationally Determined Contributions, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, and Land Degradation Neutrality targets. Through our Climate Promise and the Nature Pledge, we work with more than 140 countries on adaptation, mitigation, carbon markets, forests and policy.

Our mission is happy, healthy people living in harmony with nature on a thriving planet. The three planetary crises the COPs address – climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and land degradation – are its gravest threats. This year’s meetings are an exciting opportunity for us to reimagine the future, for us and all the life forms.

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Nature, climate and land

The climate crisis, biodiversity loss, land degradation, desertification and drought are deeply intertwined facets of the planetary crisis.

What role does UNDP play in the COPs?

There, you’re all caught up!

Join the conversation

Join the
conversation