Kunming Biodiversity Fund launched under UNEP, China

29 / 05 / 2024

By Marwa Nassar - -

The Kunming Biodiversity Fund was launched under co-chairmanship of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and China.

This new fund is crucial because a plan is only as good as its implementation, and implementation can only happen with sufficient resources.

The fund is open to all UN agencies to join in supporting developing countries to deliver on a sustainable future for people and nature.

UNEP – as co-chair of the fund and host to many biodiversity, chemicals and regional seas conventions – is working to harmonize action on protecting nature.

The world’s biodiversity is in steep decline. Thousands of species are facing existential threats. Forests are dwindling. Coral reefs are dying. This puts humanity in real jeopardy. Some 1.2 billion people depend on nature to meet their basic needs, while over half the world’s GDP depends on nature.

The UNEP must involve the people who live with and use nature, and ensure they benefit equitably from its sustainable use.

And UNEP needs meaningful action across key sectors, particularly food and agriculture and extractive industries.

UNEP invited public and private partners to grow the fund.

Investing in nature, through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and this Fund, is a smart economic decision. Nature is the green engine that drives economies.