After COP28, 46% of Nature Commitments Remain Stagnant

After COP28, progress on joint action commitments to accelerate the implementation of nature-based solutions on the ground has been slow. Since the last summit in Dubai, the percentage of public and private commitments in this area showing no evidence of action or progress has only decreased from 54% to 46%.

This analysis stems from the latest update of the Nature4Climate NbS Commitment Tracker, which evaluates progress on joint action for nature-based solutions to promote transparency and progress on multilateral actions for nature, addressing the $4.1 trillion funding gap by 2050 to enhance the effectiveness of nature-based solutions at scale. 

To account for the 8% change in progress we look to those commitments that had enough change to warrant a new color grade. Pre and post-COP28, there were only color grade changes from 22 commitments. 12 commitments were upgraded and 9 were downgraded. Of the commitments that were upgraded, 6 were global multilateral commitments, 2 were Africa-based commitments, and 2 were LAC commitments.

These numbers, post-COP28, describe commitments made before the conference and do not include the 22 new ones announced in Dubai. Nevertheless, the minimal differences between pre-and post-COP28 commitments raise questions: If nature can provide up to one-third of the emissions reductions needed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, why is there such a lack of transparency and reporting in this area? Why are we progressing at such a slow pace?

Ahead of the 2024 Bonn Climate Change Conference starting today (June 3), Zac Goldsmith, an environmentalist and a Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, analyzed the latest data from the N4C Commitment and broadened the understanding of slow progress to include not only this period following COP 28– where governments, businesses, and financial institutions highlighted the interdependence of our planet’s climate and biodiversity–, but also the sluggish pace since the historic Glasgow (COP26) agreement. At this event, 145 world leaders pledged to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, a commitment supported by nearly £14bn in public and private funding. 

“There is no solution to climate change that doesn’t involve massive efforts to protect and restore the natural world”, Goldsmith emphasized. “But progress on ambitions held, and commitments made, is way off the mark. Organizations across the public and private sectors need to be held accountable for their promises, and we need to see far greater action and evidence of how they are implementing their intent”, he commented, expecting this to be brought to light this week, during the meeting in Germany.

Good news

While this data provides a sobering picture of the execution of and transparency around nature-related commitments, a new key trend provides a more positive outlook on the state of newer commitments. 

Of the 22 new commitments made at COP28, more than half of them (54%) include language referencing Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs). This marks a significant improvement from pre-COP28, where only 11% mentioned IPs and LCs. 

“We are pleased to see our role as guardians of vital ecosystems gaining recognition after decades of defending our rights”, analyzed Juan Carlos Jintiach, Executive Secretary to the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, a coalition representing Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities from 24 countries from the tropical belt. 

Though Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and stewardship of nature are critical to the design and implementation of solutions for ecosystems, they have historically been marginalized from political commitments for nature. Even when money is pledged to IPs and LCs, only a small percentage directly reaches these communities.

A recent report from RRI, State of Funding for Tenure Rights and Forest Guardianship,  found that though overall funding for IPs and LCs has increased since 2020 as a result of the IPLC Forest Tenure pledge and other efforts, little funding is reaching local organizations directly. The report also found that though disbursements for tenure and rights outcomes have increased in Africa and Asia, they continue to decline in Latin America.

“As Indigenous peoples, we have been preserving and conserving our lands, offering sustainable solutions based on our realities, despite not having access to the large-scale climate funding that often gets lost among intermediaries without reaching our territories. In the past 10 years, only 1% of global climate financing has reached our communities. Given this, we urge governments and private institutions to collaborate with us on trust-based solutions that recognize our expertise and traditional knowledge as essential pillars of effective action”, complemented Jintiach.

With this in mind, we must continue to monitor both commitments made to IPs and LCs, as well as all commitments to nature, closely. While 54% is an encouraging step in the right direction, we hope to see this number continue to increase. As stewards of over 40% of all ecologically intact landscapes, IPs and LCs must be integral to all policies and initiatives regarding the land and nature they protect.

UPDATE –  All Commitments:

Excluding new commitments made at COP28:

See the full data here:

ABOUT 

The NBS Commitment Tracker offers an assessment of the progress made on various joint action commitments, primarily spanning the period from 2019 to 2024, although some commitments date back to 2011. It serves as a simple transparency test: have organizations published evidence of action on the commitments they have made?

Our evaluation is based on thorough desktop research, and we remain committed to maintaining its accuracy by incorporating any additional information as it becomes available. The regions in question are categorized according to the geographical areas where these commitments are being implemented. To enhance clarity, we have implemented a color-coded methodology that provides a visual representation of the degree of progress communicated and achieved for each commitment: Red – No published evidence of action or progress; Yellow – Some evidence of action or progress; Light Green – Substantial evidence of action or progress; and Green – Complete or fully on track to meet commitment. 

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