Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) – Early Action Support (EAS) Project

The Global Biodiversity Framework Early Action Support (GBF-EAS) project is designed to mobilize funding and support so that countries can meet the new biodiversity targets outlined in the GBF. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the GBF-EAS project is working to fast-track readiness and early actions. The project is jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with the CBD Secretariat and the GEF, and provides financial and technical support package that focuses on four components: alignment with national biodiversity strategies and action plans, national monitoring systems, policy and institutional coherence, and biodiversity finance. 

For more information on this initiative, please visit: https://www.undp.org/nature/our-flagship-initiatives/gbf-action-nbsap-support

1. To explain in detail the Global Diversity Framework Early Action Support main project goals and desired outcomes.
2. To discuss the implementation strategy of the main components and timelines.
3. To discuss the key issues related to project implementation stakeholder and community roles and responsibilities.
4. To engage stakeholders in detailed discussion to assess stakeholders’ view on the project.

Please see full agenda below:

COMPONENT 1

As part of Component 1 of the GBF EAS project, several focus group meetings were organized with key stakeholders involved in the implementation of the GBF locally, to solicit input toward the revision of the NBTs. These focus group meeting were held at the University Inn, Circular Road from August 5^th to 8^th 2024. The information to presented at these meetings can be found in the Project Resources section below. The information gathered at these meetings were incorporated into the proposed NBTs. Subsequently, Verification Workshops were held on 27th August 2024 in Tobago and 29th August 2024 in Trinidad. This workshop served to verify that the new draft NBTs are acceptable to all key stakeholders. Valuable feedback was gained from a wide range of stakeholders and this feedback was used to further refine the NBTs. The new draft NBTs can be found below:

To date, Component 1 has been completed and a draft completion report has been submitted to Cabinet for their review. The draft report can be found under the Project Resources tab.

COMPONENT 2

Component 2 of the Global Biodiversity Framework Early Action Support requires a rapid review of existing monitoring and evaluation systems of biodiversity conservation measures implicit to the new National Biodiversity Targets that were developed and aligned with the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) under component 1.  Gaps will be identified in existing data, institutional monitoring systems and frameworks on biodiversity and on the elements of the targets and indicators for biodiversity conservation; as well as in the headline indicators for the GBF. A plan for strengthening national monitoring systems to respond to the updated national targets, GBF and its monitoring framework will be proposed, along with a provisional costing of monitoring systems.

This component consists of several activities including:

• Literature Review – All relevant literature on national biodiversity or biodiversity targets monitoring systems will be accessed and reviewed. Key documentation will include the: Monitoring Framework for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework [CBD/COP/DEC/15/5]; UNEP-WCMC Guidance for developing plans for national monitoring systems in support of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework [2024]; National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy of Trinidad and Tobago [2015], Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Trinidad and Tobago 2017-2022, and the new draft National Biodiversity Targets and provisional indicators for Trinidad and Tobago.
  

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• Stakeholder Discussions – Individual consultations will be held with personnel at key agencies responsible for or who undertake monitoring of aspects of biodiversity, such as IMA, EMA, Forestry Division, Fisheries Division, UWI and several departments of the THA. These sessions will identify what is actually being monitored, how the monitoring takes place, how the information is used and what gaps exist. NGOs/civil society, other agencies and the previously consulted key agencies will be engaged for further inputs after the draft monitoring framework is prepared, which will also include draft indicators for each of the new draft National Biodiversity Targets that were previously prepared under under Component 1 of this project. Stakeholders will also be asked to identify which components of the new National Biodiversity Targets they consider as directly or indirectly aligned with their programme mandates and their actual or potential role in the achievement of these targets.
  

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• Preparation of Rapid Screening Gap Assessment Report – The Rapid Screening Gap Assessment Report of biodiversity targets monitoring systems/action plans against the new draft National Biodiversity Targets will be prepared based on stakeholders consultations and the literature review. This report will also include an outline for gap filling measures.
  

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• Preparation of Draft Monitoring Action Plan – A Draft Monitoring Action Plan for the new National Biodiversity Targets will be prepared based on the information so far acquired. This draft will be discussed with a few key agencies who have lead roles or capacity for implementing biodiversity monitoring programmes in the country. A revised draft of the Monitoring Report will then be prepared and reviewed by the project team and other key stakeholders. The review process will be facilitated during sessions held with each key agency or CSO that has the mandate, jurisdiction, or responsibility for monitoring biodiversity parameters.
  

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• Preparation of Final Monitoring Action Plan – Subsequent to consultations on the revised Monitoring Acton Plan, all relevant inputs will be considered in preparation and submission of the final action plan. This plan will include, as appropriate, headline indicators, component indicators and complementary indicators, as well as the identification of which agencies will have the lead for specific indicators, and what resources if any, will be needed for the monitoring programme. Additionally, the Plan will outline a national monitoring system to respond to the updated national targets, along with a provisional costing of the monitoring systems and provisional investment support to fill any monitoring gaps. The potential coordination of the monitoring network will be identified as well as information/data gathering and sharing in a timely manner.

Component 2 of the project is currently ongoing.

COMPONENT 3

Component 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework Early Action Support will determine the extent to which institutions, policies and legal frameworks are in alignment with, and effectively designed to deliver on the new National Biodiversity Targets which are aligned with the  Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Additionally, opportunities and steps required for policy alignment and coherence across nature, climate and sustainable development commitments will be identified. Prioritised sets of actions to fill institutional gaps will be developed to advance the country towards policy coherence taking a whole-of-government approach. The policy and institutional review will also consider the BIOFIN Methodology to analyze existing biodiversity-related policies and institutions.

This component consists of several activities, including:

• Literature Review – All relevant literature in support of the assignment will be accessed and reviewed. Key documentation will include but not be limited to: the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as national biodiversity related policies (Wildlife, Forest, Protected Areas, Environment, etc). Available documentation on institutional mandates, work programmes and annual reports of agencies with responsibility for developing or implementing biodiversity policy and conservation measures will also be examined. Additionally, existing recent documentation on National Ecosystem Assessments will be reviewed.

• Stakeholder Consultations – Individual meetings will be held with personnel at key agencies responsible for or who undertake monitoring of aspects of biodiversity, such as IMA, EMA, Forestry Division, Fisheries Division, other Divisions in Agriculture, UWI, UTT and several departments of the THA. These sessions will identify policy and institutional alignment with the new Draft National Biodiversity Targets and what gaps exist. These consultations will, as far as possible, be held simultaneously during the C2 consultations. NGOs/civil society, other agencies and the previously consulted key agencies will be engaged for further inputs after the draft policy coherence report is prepared. Separate focus group discussions will be held with targeted stakeholders among government agencies, private sector, universities and civil society organizations to get inputs into the need for, and scope of a national ecosystem assessment. These discussions will also help to define key policy questions that the assessment will address and examine key design considerations and constraints.

• Preparation of Report on Rapid Review of Policies and Institutions – A report on the rapid review of existing national policies and institutions related to biodiversity and the new National Biodiversity Targets that are aligned with the GBF will be prepared based on stakeholders consultations and the literature review. This report will also include an outline for gap filling measures.

• Preparation of Draft Policy Coherence Report – A draft Policy Coherence Report will be prepared based on the findings of the literature review and inputs from stakeholders gathered during the focus group discussions. This draft report will include: an implementation approach to mainstream the new National Biodiversity Targets which will be incorporated into an updated NBSAP across different national policies; an aligned, whole-of-government implementation approach identifying opportunities for mainstreaming biodiversity into national policies using landscape mapping approaches and integrated spatial planning; a prioritized action plan for policy coherence with a ranked set of actions to fill institutional gaps; and an implementation approach to promote a whole-of-government nature-positive approach to biodiversity conservation. This draft report will be discussed with a few key agencies that have lead roles or capacity for implementing biodiversity policy or conservation measures in the country. A revised draft of the Policy Coherence Report will then be prepared for further review by the project team and other key stakeholders. The review process will be facilitated during sessions held with each key agency or CSO that has the mandate, jurisdiction, or responsibility for biodiversity conservation.

• Preparation of Final Policy Coherence Report – Subsequent to consultations on the revised Policy Coherence Report, all relevant inputs will be considered in preparation of the final report.

• Preparation of the Scoping Report for a National Ecosystem Assessment – A draft Scoping Report will be prepared based on the findings of the literature review and inputs from stakeholders gathered during the focus group discussions. This draft report will be discussed with a few key agencies that may have roles or capacity for conducting ecosystem assessments in the country. The revised Scoping Report will then be prepared. The report will include: key policy questions; key design considerations and constraints; rationale and usefulness of the assessment; methodological approaches and key datasets required; strategic partnerships and initiatives; and process, timetable and operational structure.

Component 3 of the project is currently ongoing.

In preparation for the EAS Initiative, the United Nations Development Programme – EAS Project Team conducted an analysis of the similarity between the 27 biodiversity targets of Trinidad and Tobago’s most recent NBSAP and the 4 goals and 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The analysis indicates that each of the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework have at least one parallel national biodiversity target of high, medium, or low similarity. Of Trinidad and Tobago’s 27 national biodiversity targets, Goal A has the highest number of similar targets (5), followed by Goal B (5), and Goal C (2). The lowest number of similar national targets is observed in Goal D (1). Of the 13 pairs of global goals and national targets with some similarity, approximately 0% have high similarity, 23% have medium similarity and 77% have low similarity.

The analysis also indicated that 18 of the 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework have at least one parallel national biodiversity target. Target 9 has the highest number of aligned national biodiversity targets (8), followed by Target 1 (6), and Target 3 (5). Of the 54 pairs of national and global targets with some similarity, 9 have high similarity, 15 have medium similarity, and 30 have low similarity. The global targets that lack aligned national biodiversity targets are: Targets 12, 16, 17, 20, and 23.

This analysis can inform a country-led process to align national biodiversity targets with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and support subsequent NBSAP revision or update. The policy summary highlights key findings that are elaborated in a more detailed assessment for Trinidad and Tobago.

For more information on this NBT Similarity Assessment, please click below:

Trinidad and Tobago National Biodiversity Target Similarity Assessment (Policy Summary)

Trinidad and Tobago National Biodiversity Target Similarity Assessment (In-depth Analysis)

Focus Group Meeting Resources:

CBD GORTT obligations
Global Biodiversity Framework EAS
Stakeholder Focus Group Meetings Outline

Inception Workshop Resources:

2017-2022 NATIONAL Biodiversity TARGETSPPT_ GEF EAS Inception Workshop_May 2024

EAS GBF project implementation
CBD Online Reporting Tool training on Decision 15-6 Annex I and II (national target and reporting) - v1

Component 1 Resources:

Other Resources: