In the next two months, two major global conferences will draw every member of the United Nations to discuss climate related challenges that the world and Africa in particular is grappling with. The UN Biodiversity Conference will kick off next month in Cali, Colombia. At stake is the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework that sets out a pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050. The big agenda will be how to implement the commitments of the global biodiversity framework. One such commitment is to protect 30% of the planet’s oceans, lands and freshwaters, also known as 30x30. The 30x30 is a worldwide initiative for governments to designate 30% of Earth’s land and ocean area as protected areas by 2030. We are barely six years away from this goal and there is little progress. Only one country (Uganda) out of the 54 in Africa has revised and updated their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. The UN Biodiversity Conference is a precursor to the UN Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change. COP 27 will be held in November in Azerbaijan, drawing all members of the UN. Africa’s past participation in climate change conferences has yielded limited tangible results. Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent disproportionately bears the brunt of climate change's consequences. Additionally, Africa's rich biodiversity is under threat, despite its immense economic value. One deal that African countries collectively negotiated was the loss and damage fund to which developed countries were asked to contribute funds that developing countries would utilise for mitigation and adaptation. But as Kaddu Sebunya, the CEO of African Wildlife Foundation indicated in our exclusive interview, the conversation was based on Africa begging to be compensated. The continent cannot afford to keep begging the developed world to save us. The conversation should be about Africa saving the world at its own expense. This should, therefore, mean putting a value to its natural resources. This means putting a price on each natural resource that Africa has. Natural capital accounting, which helps measure the full extent of a country's balance sheet of natural assets, is one tool that has gained prominence over the years.
