Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to use Official Development Assistance funds to support countries to deliver an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity; and if so, how.

The UK has committed to spend at least £3bn of International Climate Finance between 2021/22 and 2025/26 on development solutions that protect and restore nature. As set out in the Government’s recently published International Development Strategy, the UK is also taking steps to ensure UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) overall becomes ‘nature positive’, aligning with the international goal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, and the post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, once agreed.

Defra is implementing a range of ODA funded programmes, including some ICF funded activities, to support developing countries to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. These include: the £100m Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, supporting improved management of six highly biodiverse landscapes worldwide; an expanded Darwin Initiative (£93.75m) funding conservation projects and building capacity in developing countries; work to tackle the Illegal Wildlife Trade which is a key driver of biodiversity loss (£30m); the UK’s Blue Planet Fund (£500m), supporting developing countries to protect and sustainably manage marine ecosystems; and a new Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate (up to £40m) to deliver R&D on policy solutions for climate challenges through action on biodiversity. In addition, we are scoping potential further work to support developing countries in meeting the draft Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30x30 target to protect and restore critical ecosystems.