Mainstreaming Trade in Biodiversity Governance

Biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems have emerged as one of the defining challenges of our time. Trade sits at the heart of this challenge: it is a significant driver of biodiversity loss yet, when goods are produced and traded sustainably, it can also become a powerful positive incentive for conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and inclusive development. Aligning trade policy with the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) has therefore become a pressing priority, given fresh momentum by the first Trade Day held during CBD COP16 in Cali in 2024.

Tulip carried out two complementary pieces of policy analysis for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), examining how trade can be harnessed to advance biodiversity conservation while safeguarding the development needs of producer countries.

The first piece was on mainstreaming trade in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), the principal instrument through which countries implement the CBD and translate the KMGBF into national action. The analysis found that, while there are clear links between several KMGBF targets and trade, most NBSAPs make little or no direct reference to trade policy beyond the regulation of endangered species, representing a significant missed opportunity for more integrated and effective biodiversity governance. The analysis mapped how trade intersects with the Framework’s targets and set out concrete  pathways for countries to integrate trade, spanning regulatory frameworks and FTA design, economic incentives, technical and financial assistance, and inter-ministerial cooperation.

The second piece built on the outcomes of CBD COP16 and the Trade Day discussions to chart how trade and trade policy can help halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The analysis examined the interlinkages between trade and biodiversity and the existing trade rules that support conservation, reviewed the COP16 and Trade Day outcomes, and identified concrete pathways forward. This includes improving access to biodiversity-friendly goods and services, scaling up positive incentives while phasing out harmful ones, advancing technology transfer, and strengthening multilateral cooperation.