Insights from Three UN Summits: Biodiversity, Climate, and Land

Axel Eriksson and Grzegorz credit Photo by IISD ENB Mike Muzurakis

In the autumn of 2024, the United Nations hosted three major summits addressing biodiversity, climate change, and desertification. These events were crucial for advancing global discussions on environmental challenges. Axel Eriksson, an engineering student from Lund and an advocate for environmental justice, shares his report on the outcomes of these critical meetings.

A Quick Overview

The Biodiversity COP in Colombia centred on how to implement the UN’s biodiversity plan in practice. It discussed progress measurement, funding for developing countries, and how Indigenous knowledge can guide harmonious living with nature. The Climate COP in Azerbaijan focused on scaling up financial support for developing countries’ climate action, while the Desertification COP in Saudi Arabia explored how to better involve marginalised groups in combating land degradation. Despite some progress, key decisions were delayed, and ambitions for transformative agreements were not fully realised.

Biodiversity COP in Colombia

This summit was dedicated to implementing the UN’s biodiversity plan. Key discussions included how to measure progress and determine the scale and type of financing that developed countries should provide to developing nations for conservation and restoration efforts. The role of Indigenous knowledge was a central theme, with decisions made to respect and learn from Indigenous ways of living in harmony with nature. A significant outcome was the establishment of a fund to ensure equitable access to and use of genetic resources, such as seeds. The conference also decided to create a new body focused on Indigenous peoples. However, many critical issues were postponed until February 2025, reflecting the complexity of these negotiations.

Climate COP in Azerbaijan

At the Climate COP, the primary focus was on financing for climate action. Developed countries reaffirmed their commitment under the Paris Agreement to provide $100 billion annually to developing nations from 2020 to 2025. A major outcome of this meeting was the agreement to scale up this funding to $300 billion per year starting in 2035. Progress was also made in defining how countries should measure their adaptation efforts. However, there was significant resistance to mentioning fossil fuels in any decisions, illustrating the ongoing tension around transitioning away from carbon-intensive energy sources.

Desertification COP in Saudi Arabia

The Desertification COP was the largest meeting ever held under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. One of the key outcomes was a stronger emphasis on involving Indigenous peoples, civil society, youth, and other groups that are both heavily impacted by land degradation and vital to addressing this crisis. Financial commitments were made from developed to developing countries, but these remained much smaller in scale compared to the climate convention. While hopes were high for a new treaty under this convention, no agreement was reached, though the groundwork for future negotiations was established.

Next Steps and Future Events

Important follow-up meetings are already planned to continue these discussions. The Biodiversity Convention will hold an extraordinary session in Rome in February 2025 to address unresolved issues. The next Climate COP will take place in Brazil in autumn 2025, focusing on countries’ updated plans for achieving Paris Agreement goals. Meanwhile, the Desertification Convention will hold a smaller meeting next autumn, with the next major summit planned for 2026 in Mongolia.

About Axel Eriksson

Headshot COP29 credit Jervon Sands

Axel Eriksson is an engineering student at Lund University and a committed advocate for environmental justice. While he did not represent Engineers Without Borders Sweden (EWB-SWE) at these events, he is an active member of the organisation’s local student group in Lund. Axel’s passion for global environmental issues and his keen interest in justice shine through in his reflections, providing valuable insights into these critical UN summits.

We are thankful to Axel for sharing his experiences and for bringing the outcomes of these global discussions closer to our community.

Images from Youtube broadcast by Green Growth Africa, Photos of Axel: Headshot COP29 credit Jervon Sands, Axel speech in EU meeting at COP28 and Axel and Grzegorz credit Photo by IISD ENB Mike Muzurakis, plus Instagram post by Youth Negotiators Academy,