USCIB Represents US Business at UN Biodiversity Negotiations in Nairobi

Agnes Vinblad, Senior Director, Environment and Sustainability at USCIB, represented member companies at the seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-7) under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held August 4-12 in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting brought together governments, business, civil society, and other stakeholders to advance negotiations ahead of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia (October 19-30), marking a key milestone before the conference.

SBI-7 focused on assessing progress toward implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and preparing for the first global review at COP17. While action is underway across all 23 GBF targets, fewer than half of assessed national targets are on track, highlighting significant gaps as the 2030 deadline approaches.

For US business, these negotiations are important because CBD outcomes increasingly shape national policies and regulatory frameworks across key markets, including natural resource management, land use, corporate reporting, and genetic resources. Although the United States is not a Party to the CBD, decisions still impact US companies through foreign regulation, reporting requirements, investment conditions, supply chains, and market access.

Biodiversity finance and resource mobilization, which include barriers to scaling finance, the effectiveness of existing mechanisms, access to funding, and the future contributor base, was a major focus of talks in Nairobi. Parties remained divided on the balance between public and private finance and how responsibilities should be shared. While some progress was made, key issues remain unresolved and will return at COP17.

Another key issue for SBI-7 was Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic resources, including the Multilateral Mechanism for fair and equitable benefit-sharing and the COP16-agreed Cali Fund. Negotiations focused on governance, transparency, operational design, and private sector contributions. While progress was made, several issues remain open for COP17.

SBI-7 outcomes set the stage for a heavy agenda in Yerevan, where COP17 will conduct the first global review of GBF implementation and consider ways to accelerate action through 2030, including on finance, capacity-building, and mainstreaming.

USCIB will represent members for the full two weeks of negotiations at UN Biodiversity COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia this October.