The global biodiversity framework needs a robust action agenda

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NB! The below is a pre-final submission version.
The final version of this article has been published in Nature Ecology and Evolution. Link::
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01953-2
If you don’t have access, use this link: https://t.co/OMspp8Dcaq
Citation:
Chan, S., Bauer, S., Betsill, M.M.*et al.*The global biodiversity framework needs a robust action
agenda.*Nat Ecol Evol*(2022). https://doi-org.proxy.library.uu.nl/10.1038/s41559-022-01953-2
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Sander Chan (corresponding author)1,2,3; Steffen Bauer1; Michele M. Betsill4; Frank Biermann3;
Idil Boran5,6,1; Peter Bridgewater7,8; Harriet Bulkeley9,3; Mercedes M.C. Bustamente10; Alexandra
Deprez11; Felix Dodds12; Michael Hoffmann13; Anna-Katharina Hornidge1; Alice Hughes14; Pablo
Imbach15; Maria Ivanova16; Alexandre Köberle17; Marcel T.J. Kok18; Shuaib Lwasa19; Tiffany
Morrison20; Hans -O. Pörtner21; Agus P. Sari22,23; Stacy D. VanDeveer24; Derek Vollmer25; Oscar
Widerberg26; Nathalie Pettorelli (corresponding author)27
Bending the curve of biodiversity loss is a key priority for humanity and requires urgent action1.
The rapid loss of biological diversity threatens human lives, livelihoods and well-being globally,
and is reinforcing, and being reinforced by, climate breakdown2. In December 2022, the 15th
Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity will be held in
Montreal. It is essential that an ambitious, specific and measurable Global Biodiversity
Framework is agreed at this COP. However, governments alone are unlikely to reverse negative
trends in biodiversity. We suggest that a Biodiversity Action Agenda that mobilizes nature
recovery actions from across society -- including businesses, investors, civil society groups, and
local communities -- should be included as a complement to governmental efforts.
If governments can agree on a strong Framework, an Action Agenda can create productive links
between multilateral and transnational actions, for example by leveraging capacities from
multiple actors, implementing goals, demonstrating solutions, and spurring national governments
towards greater ambition3,4. If, however, governments fail to agree on an ambitious Framework,
or the subsequent implementation of the agreement suffers from political backlash or a
dismantling of national biodiversity policies, the Action Agenda can help sustain action and
build momentum. To some extent, this scenario played out when the United States government
rolled back climate policies and announced their exit from the Paris Agreement in 2017. US
states, cities and businesses responded through a range of efforts as part of the ‘America’s
Pledge’, which will significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions despite federal inaction5.
A first step to the creation of a Biodiversity Action Agenda was taken in 2018 through the
Sharm-el-Sheikh to Kunming Agenda for Nature and People, which has to date generated over
400 commitments but is due to end with COP15. We argue that this Action Agenda should
continue beyond COP15 and should be enhanced to better integrate both positive and negative
lessons learned from past experiences with other UN action agendas, such as from the Global
Climate Action Agenda which records commitments by more than 30,000 actors,6,7 or the UN

Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals8, which records more than 6,700 multi-
stakeholder partnerships9.
Past experiences have shown that short-lived Action Agendas are unlikely to generate catalytic
effects, such as growing participation in biodiversity action or stimulating the wider application
of successful approaches. A successful Action Agenda that spurs societal actors to contribute to
biodiversity goals moreover needs to perform multiple functions over time, such as: facilitating
the organization of events and interfaces between public and private actors; recording and
evaluating actions to track collective progress; and defining strategic priorities for subsequent
mobilization efforts. In the past, Action Agendas related to sustainable development or climate
action, including Partnerships for Sustainable Development, Partnerships for the SDGs, and the
Lima-Paris Action Agenda have been administered by single UN secretariats or conference
organizers that often have lacked capacities and resources to successfully perform all such
functions. In addition, Action Agendas often have narrowly targeted audiences, leading to an
overwhelming focus on large businesses and investors in the Global North, and failing to include
vulnerable communities or actors based in the Global South. Finally, without well-defined
accountability and transparency mechanisms, Action Agendas can provide a stage for
commitments that are unsubstantiated or simply represent business-as-usual. Such greenwashing
not only risks undermining the Action Agenda, but it can also erode societal engagement in
environmental challenges.
We therefore call on Parties to the CBD to include in the Framework at COP 15 an Action
Agenda that follows these ‘5Cs’:
● Complementary – works alongside governments to accelerate the implementation of
internationally agreed biodiversity, sustainability and climate goals;
● Catalytic – inspires societal (non-state and subnational) actors to take action, and
facilitate interfaces between them and governments to reach higher ambition through
long-term mobilization and engagement;
● Collaborative – involves other UN conventions, scientists, and existing initiatives that
engage societal actors in the design and implementation of the agenda, including the
sharing of mobilization, recording, and evaluative functions;
● Comprehensive – mobilizes actions from a diversity of actors including NGOs,
marginalized and Indigenous peoples, particularly in the Global South, while facilitating
learning across governance levels and regions;
● Credible – facilitates and requires regular reporting to track and evaluate actions to
ensure individual and collective progress, and to exclude underperformers.
These 5Csshould characterize an Action Agenda that generates enthusiasm for a diverse array of
actors to take biodiversity action. By working alongside other UN Action Agendas, such a
Biodiversity Action Agenda could stimulate synergies and co-benefits with climate and human
health, while avoiding potential trade-offs, such as large-scale bioenergy and afforestation
projects that could provide climate benefits but risk negative effects on biodiversity10.
 The authors declare no competing interests.
 

1. Pettorelli, N. et al. J Appl Ecol !", 2384-2393 (2021).
2. Scientific outcome of the IPBES-IPCC co-sponsored workshop on biodiversity and
climate change. (eds Pörtner, H-O. et al.) (IPBES secretariat, 2021).
3. Pattberg, P. et al. Glob. Policy #$%&', 385-390. (2019).
4. Morrison, T. H., et al. Nat. Sustain. &, 947–955 (2020).
5. Hultman, N. et al. Nat. Commun. ##%#', 1-10. (2020).
6. UNFCCC. Global Climate Action Portal https://climateaction.unfccc.int (UNFCCC,
2022)
7. Chan, S. et al. Glob. Policy (%)', 466-47 (2015).
8. Beisheim, M., & Simon, N. Glob.Gov. *)%)', 497-515 (2018).
9. United Nations. The Partnership Forum https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships (United Nations,
2022)
10. Deprez, A. et al. Study $!+*# (IDDRI, 2021),
,  
1 German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Tulpenfeld 6, 53113 Bonn,
Germany
2 Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Nijmegen School of Management,
Radboud University, 652 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
3 Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences,
Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
4 Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353
Copenhagen, Denmark
5 Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto,
Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
6 Department of Philosophy, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3,
Canada
7 Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies, The Australian National University
Canberra 2601 Australia
8 Institute for Applied Ecology University of Canberra Bruce 2614 Australia
9 Department of Geography, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United
Kingdom
10 Department of Ecology, University of Brasília - Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa
Norte, Brasília, Brazil

11 Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI-Sciences Po), 41
Rue du Four, 75006 Paris, France
12 The Water Institute-UNC, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North
Carolina, Campus Box #7431 Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
13 Conservation Department, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Regent's Park, NW1 4RY,
United Kingdom
14 School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
15 CATIE - Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, 30501, Turrialba, Costa
Rica
16 Northeastern University, 310 Renaissance Park 1135 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
17 Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ,
United Kingdom
18 PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, 2594 AV, The
Hague, The Netherlands
19 Urban Action Lab, Makerere University, University Road, CHUSS Building, Makerere,
Wandeyega, Kampala, Uganda
20 James Cook University, 1 James Cook Dr, Douglas QLD 4811, Australia
21 Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
22 Landscape Indonesia, 16th Floor, Gran Rubina (Generali Tower), Episentrum Business Park,
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, Jakarta 12940, Indonesia
23 School of Business and Management, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jakarta
Campus,*Gedung Graha Irama 12th Floor, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. 1-2, Kuningan Timur,
Jakarta 12950, Indonesia
24 University of Massachusetts Boston,100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston MA 02125, USA
25 Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, Virginia 22202, USA
26 Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Science
NU building, 8th floor, Wing A, De Boelelaan 1111, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
27 Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Regent's Park, NW1 4RY, United
Kingdom

Authors and affiliations
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Sander Chan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7852-3838
Steffen Bauer*
Idil Boran https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6832-152X
Anna-Katharina Hornidge https://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-6832-152X
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Alexandre Köberle*
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Marcel T.J. Kok
6,156161:6//151
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Shuaib Lwasa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4312-2836
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Tiffany Morrison https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5433-037X
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Hans -O. Pörtner https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6535-6575
,-1#(1%'13
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Agus P. Sari

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1>#*F!$1-
Agus P. Sari
6 51#$$515$*#*!16/
Stacy D. VanDeveer
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Derek Vollmer https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3251-3156
- 3/%-J5'1J461 
/
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Oscar Widerberg https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8088-3709
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=
Nathalie Pettorelli https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1594-6208

Sander Chan, sander.chan@ru.nl
Nathalie Pettorelli, nathalie.pettorelli@ioz.ac.uk