Tri COPs on Climate, Biodiversity and Land Degradation: Implications for Asia

Tri COPs on Climate, Biodiversity and Land Degradation: Implications for Asia

13:30 ICT | 18 March 2025

Overview

The plenary session "Tri COPs on Climate, Biodiversity and Land Degradation: Implications for Asia" will provide an overview of the most salient outcomes, the unresolved issues, and the implications through the lens of Asian business leaders, policy makers and advocates.

The 2024 COPs represented both a step forward and a reminder of the considerable hurdles that remain in achieving coordinated action on global environmental challenges. Key issues from COP29 on climate change, including the transition away from fossil fuels and the Just Transition work programme, were deferred to 2025, underscoring the need for greater political will. Important decisions on nature and biodiversity also did not materialize as hoped, including an agreement on a monitoring framework. Still, discussions on resource mobilization for biodiversity saw some progress at COP16, with the establishment the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) and the Cali Fund.

The UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh focused on land degradation, desertification, and drought, particularly in regions like the Middle East and North Africa. The adoption of the Riyadh Political Declaration and the launch of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership (RGDRP) with initial funding are important developments. However, the persistent and significant funding gap for addressing land degradation and drought resilience, estimated at USD 1 billion per day, remains a major obstacle. Additionally, COP16 highlighted the ongoing barriers to securing land rights for women, indigenous groups, and marginalized communities, which underscored the need for inclusive and equitable land governance.

ISSUES:

The results from the Tri COPs of 2024 were considered mixed by many, reflecting growing mistrust between Global North and South and concern over the upending of once-settled political and trade relationships. Do current circumstances call for a recalibration and even a lowering of our expectations from business? Or do they signal a wake-up call for sustainability professionals, environmental advocates and human rights defenders? What political and economic shifts in 2024 changed the way business think about climate, nature and land, and can we expect business leaders to be as outspoken and forward looking on sustainability as they have been in the past? What are some emerging signals that Asia remains committed to solving the challenges linked to climate, biodiversity and, land degradation?

Format

Panel discussion followed by question-and-answer period.

LEARN:

Outcomes of the Tri COPs: Explore the key outcomes and unresolved issues from COP29 and COP16, including the implications for Asia’s approach to climate change, biodiversity, and land degradation.
Economic Implications of Environmental Action: Understand how advancements in environmental policies and practices can drive economic growth and resilience for businesses in Asia.
Barriers to Progress: Learn about the significant challenges highlighted during the COPs, including funding gaps and land rights issues affecting marginalized communities.

ENGAGE:

Collaborative Approaches to Policy: Explore regional collaborations and possible strategies for aligning policies across nations to tackle climate and biodiversity challenges effectively.
Corporate Leadership in Sustainability: Engage with businesses committed to addressing their environmental impacts through innovative practices and partnerships that set industry benchmarks.
Community-Led Initiatives: Center discussions on the experiences and needs of communities directly impacted by climate change and land degradation, emphasizing the importance of their voices in policymaking.

CONNECT:

Multi-Stakeholder Solutions: Explore how businesses can partner with regulators, communities, and civil society to strengthen their due diligence strategies while integrating nature-based solutions to enhance air quality and ecosystem health.
Innovation and Opportunity: Identify business opportunities stemming from clean technology advancements and low-emission solutions that can address the challenges presented at the COPs.
Building Networks for Collective Action: Connect with diverse stakeholders to foster partnerships that drive effective action on climate, biodiversity, and land governance in Asia.

SESSION SPEAKERS

DINDO CAMPILAN

Regional Director for Asia & Hub Director for Oceania, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Dr Dindo Campilan is the Asia Regional Director and Oceania Hub Director for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Besides directing the overall programme agenda and strategy, he leads the regional strategic themes for nature-based solutions, business and finance, and governance and rights. Dr. Campilan has more than 20 years of Asia-wide senior leadership and programme management experience in agriculture, food, and environment research and development. With the CGIAR International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), he managed a regional portfolio for inclusive markets and food systems, climate-smart agricultural policies and investments, and sustainable agricultural landscapes and ecosystem services. With the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), he managed country support for business continuity among enterprises facing climate, conflict and Covid-19 risks. He obtained his PhD from Wageningen University, The Netherlands.

HELEN BIANGALEN-MAGATA

Executive Director, Tentebba

Helen Biangalen-Magata belongs to the Kadaclan Indigenous Peoples of the Mountain Province in the Philippines.

She has dedicated the past 15 years in working the field of research, education, and communication specifically on Indigenous Peoples’ rights, climate change, community development, and climate finance. She is currently the Coordinator of the Climate and Biodiversity Program in Tebtebba Foundation (Indigenous Peoples, International Center for Policy Research and Education). Tebtebba is based in the Philippines but working with other Indigenous Peoples organizations in 16 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

She is also an Indigenous Peoples advisory group member to the Green Climate Fund. The Green Climate Fund was established under the UNFCCC and is the world’s largest climate finance mechanism, supporting developing countries in mitigation and adaptation efforts. Helen Magata is a board member to the Climate Justice Resilience Fund. The Climate Justice Resilience Fund (CJRF) supports frontline communities, including Indigenous Peoples, in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation by strengthening their resilience and rights-based solutions.

KANRAWEE SISANDSAUP (JEAN)

Member, UNICEF Thailand Young People's Advisory Board (YPAB

Kanrawee Sisandsaup (Jeannie) is a student at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi and a member of the UNICEF Young People Advisory Board (YPAB). She serves as the Policy Team Leader at GYBN Thailand, where she advocated for meaningful youth participation in biodiversity and climate policy. With a strong passion for the climate-biodiversity nexus, she has actively contributed to environmental policy discussions, including as the Thai Youth Delegate at CBD COP16.

MANISHA DOGRA

Senior Vice President and Head of External Relations and Sustainability, Telenor Asia

Manisha Dogra is a senior corporate affairs and sustainability professional with extensive strategic and operational experience in Asia.

As the Head of External Relations &Sustainability for Telenor Asia, Manisha is part of a diverse Asia regional leadership team based out of Singapore. She leads a team of experts in the fields of Public Policy, Regulatory Affairs, Communications and Sustainability.

Prior to joining the Telenor Asia leadership team in 2022, she was Head of Sustainability for Telenor in the region and has previously helmed Telenor Group’s Supply Chain Sustainability and Human Rights functions globally.

Her journey in Telenor Group started in 2009 in India and through the years she has led various leadership roles within Corporate Affairs, Sustainability, and responsible business conduct areas across South Asia and Asia Pacific.
Her vast experience has included setting up and operationalizing the sustainability function in Telenor Myanmar while being based in Yangon from 2013-2015 as well as dealing with the crisis handling during the military coup in 2021 and has worked extensively on business and human rights issues across the region.

Manisha has been a member of UNDP FairBiz Private sector advisory group in her personal capacity during 2019-2022 and represents Telenor Group in the Global Network Initiative.

Having lived and worked in India, Norway, Myanmar and Thailand, she is based in Singapore since 2018.

SEAN LEES

Nature Pledge Coordinator, UNDP

Sean Lees is the Nature Pledge Coordinator for UNDP Asia-Pacific, promoting efforts to reverse biodiversity loss across government, business, and multilateral development sectors. Prior to this, Sean worked for UNDP as a Business and Human Rights Specialist, serving in this role since 2017. Focused on Asia, Sean advised policy makers and business leaders on international sustainability standards in both human rights and environmental domains. Prior to his work with UNDP, Sean was an attorney to the US Department of Justice. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Boston College Law School, and a member of the California State Bar.