At UN biodiversity talks in Yerevan, a number of countries are accused of weakening the scientific basis

A dispute over wording

In the final days of the UN biodiversity conference COP17, taking place in Yerevan, a conflict has flared up over the role of science in global environmental policy. The points of contention are two scientific reports by the UN-supported IPBES panel on the intersection of the nature and climate crises and on the economic forces driving them. Nearly 200 countries were supposed to agree on how these findings will guide efforts to protect nature, but, according to a French delegate, some countries 'did not want to acknowledge them'. This is reported by AFP.

Who is accused of holding up the talks

The French delegate, who asked for anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing, named four countries obstructing progress: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Argentina and Brazil. A negotiator from another developed country, who also spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, confirmed this list and described the situation as follows: there is an 'obvious alliance' of these states that is trying to 'water down' the IPBES reports, avoid welcoming them, or use them as bargaining chips in other parts of the negotiations. IPBES chair David Obura declined to comment because the talks are still under way.

'Take note' instead of 'welcome'

The essence of the dispute comes down to a few paragraphs of the draft final agreement: should countries 'welcome' the IPBES findings or merely 'take note' of them. In the language of UN negotiations, where every word is carefully weighed, the second formulation is considered considerably weaker. The French delegate called the current draft 'a text without ambition' and warned: 'If we no longer have a scientific basis for our work, then everything we discuss here is merely a matter of opinion'.

A familiar scenario from climate talks

The French delegate drew a direct parallel with the climate process: 'What is happening here is the same as with the IPCC.' Climate science has long been a point of conflict: the IPCC is currently blocked, as countries including Saudi Arabia and India are pushing to postpone the publication of the next set of key reports on global warming. Last year, in an unprecedented decision, the summary of the UN's flagship Global Environment Outlook report was derailed over disputes about fossil fuels. The negotiator from a developed country noted that in the 'biodiversity world' the reports were far less contentious until recent years, but that 'at this COP in particular' the situation has worsened.

Reaction of observers and state of the talks

Scientists and civil society activists at COP17 have already issued a joint statement expressing concern about the course of the negotiations. Bethan Laflin, a senior policy specialist at the Zoological Society of London who observed the talks in person, told AFP: 'It really is not about this particular text, although it is extremely important. It is about the precedent it sets.' The summit is due to end on Friday, but a number of unresolved issues — including the disputes over science — remain open.