Last week we saw COP16 on biodiversity kick off in Cali, Colombia. The event is one of three COPs, or Conferences of the Parties, which will take place over the next few months – convening the most influential voices and making decisions that can affect the future of the planet. The GSMA ClimateTech programme will be attending all three COPs, with the mission to amplify the role of mobile technology in addressing climate challenges and promoting equitable, resilient futures for all.
One planet, one crisis, three UN conventions
Up to 40 per cent of land worldwide is degraded, 45 per cent of our original forests are gone and since 1970, about 73 per cent of our wildlife has declined. These are sobering statistics highlighting the urgency of the polycrisis we are currently facing. The challenge is global and transboundary, and require collaborative action. So what are decision makers doing to coordinate efforts and agree on ways forward?
Over the next three months, we will see governments, policymakers and private sector stakeholders come together as all three UN Rio conventions are hosting their Conference of the Parties, or COPs. UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)COP16 which is currently ongoing in Cali, Colombia will be followed by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan in November, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December.
As highlighted by the executive secretaries of the three Rio conventions in a joint statement last month, the topics of the three COPs are deeply interlinked. Climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation are all different manifestations of one planetary crisis, and must be treated as such to really make an impact.
During the next few months, we are hoping to see commitments for the mobilisation of funds from both the private and public sectors, an implementation plan for the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), updated national climate action plans (as per the Paris agreement) and much more. Many topics will be discussed during the 6 weeks of meetings across the three COPs, and here are some of the conversations we are following:
- Marine and coastal protection
Over three billion people worldwide are dependent on the ocean for their livelihoods and food security. The blue economy will be given significant attention at biodiversity COP with conversations advocating for sustainable ocean resource practices and protection of marine ecosystems.
From a digital innovation perspective, technology such as Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used for ocean conservation and restoration efforts. The GSMA ClimateTech programme is currently conducting research on the role of mobile and digital innovation in strengthening the blue economy sector in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with a specific focus on poverty reduction and job creation.
From the mobile industry, efforts have for example been made on mangrove conservation through Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison’s project in North Kalimantan, Indonesia or Ericsson’s Connected Mangroves project in Malaysia and the Philippines – both implementing innovative digital solutions aimed at protecting mangroves while collaborating closely with local communities to find a balance between socio-economic needs and environmental conservation.
- The voices of indigenous peoples and local communities
Seen as “the peoples COP”, biodiversity COP will aim to widely include the voice of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IP&LCs) as addressed under Article 8 of the CBD. Historically, IP&LCs have acted as stewards of the world’s natural resources. Therefore, it is essential to include their knowledge when developing solutions that are aimed at solving challenges in areas where they live. Community actors need to be involved in the design, planning and implementation of such projects to fully understand the specific barriers they face.
In areas where IP&LCs are custodians of the landscape, the introduction of new technologies has the potential to negatively influence their way of life if not implemented well. In developing nature tech solutions, particularly those using business models where nature becomes an asset or a revenue stream with the aim to protect it, we must have safeguarding of land tenure rights and benefit sharing in mind. GSMA recently partnered up with IDB Invest to research the role of digital technology in the Amazon, an area with IP&LCs dependent on the rainforest and its resources. In the report, we emphasised the importance of co-creating solutions together with the community that is intended to use them to make a more significant impact and avoid unintended negative consequences
- Climate finance and the voluntary carbon market
COP29 is widely referred to as the “finance COP”, looking to secure and coordinate funding for climate action, one of the more complicated topics to negotiate. With the next round of nationally determined contributions, or climate action plans, being due in February 2025, attention is expected to focus on this topic.
The carbon market has the potential to mobilise climate finance, as referred to under Article 6 of the Paris agreement. The voluntary carbon market (VCM) has grown tremendously in recent years but has come under scrutiny due to challenges surrounding transparency and environmental integrity of these credits, raising concerns about the market’s credibility. Digital technology can, for example through digital platforms such as Cavex or Cynk help reduce some of these challenges by providing measurement, reporting and verification (dMRV) tools. It can also deliver end-to-end data of transactions, facilitate carbon market onboarding and improve accessibility. However, this is still a nascent sector that needs both financial and regulatory support to keep developing in the right direction.
- Drought resilience
Strategies for resilience against drought will be high on the agenda at the UN land and drought summit, or UNCCD COP16 in December. It is estimated that three quarters of the population worldwide could be affected by drought by 2050. It is thus key that we not only put our efforts into doing what we can to counter balance this issue, but also to build strategies that increases our resilience against the same.
Digital platforms such as GSMA Innovation Fund grantees Crop2Cash and CoAmana work with smallholder farmers affected by drought in Nigeria. By providing farmers with tools to increase their knowledge, access to drought resistant seeds, and access to finance for sustainable agricultural practices and assets, they can increase their chances of prevailing against the increasing threat of climate change.
Meet the GSMA ClimateTech team at the COPs
As digital technology continues to develop, and mobile connectivity continues to expand, digital solutions will have an increasingly important role to play in climate action. The mobile industry can be particularly critical when it comes to reaching the last mile users, especially those that live in climate vulnerable areas.
Therefore, the ClimateTech programme will be present at all three COPs, taking part in multiple sessions and discussions. If you are interested in knowing more or explore ways to collaborate, please reach out to us by email here.
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The GSMA ClimateTech programme is funded by UK International Development from the UK Government and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and is supported by the GSMA and its members.
