European Union sets mandates for UN biodiversity and climate summits

European Union environment ministers met in Luxembourg to establish the bloc’s negotiating mandates for upcoming United Nations summits on biodiversity and climate change.

For the COP17 biodiversity summit, scheduled for October 19–30 in Yerevan, Armenia, the EU intends to advocate for the accelerated implementation of the 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework. This includes the goal of protecting at least 30% of the planet’s land and sea areas by 2030. The EU will also push for integrating biodiversity protection into economic sectors and exploring innovative financing, such as ‘high-integrity’ nature credits.

Regarding the COP31 climate summit, set for November 9–20 in Antalya, Turkey, the EU aims to uphold international commitments and multilateralism. The bloc noted that while the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius may likely be exceeded, it continues to demand urgent action.