Involving citizens in monitoring the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Abstract

Abstract The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and its monitoring framework, aims to reverse the decline of nature. The GBF tasks governments to report progress towards 23 targets and four goals. The monitoring framework ”Invites Parties and relevant organizations to support community-based monitoring and information systems and citizen science”. We assessed how Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), and citizen- and professional-scientists, can monitor the GBF. Of 365 indicators, 110 (30%) can involve IPLCs and citizen scientists, 184 (50%) could benefit from IPLC and citizen scientist involvement in data collection, and 181 (50%) require scientists and governmental statistical organizations. Seventeen headline indicators from 12 GBF targets are amenable to citizen monitoring, lower than the Aichi Targets, or other multilateral environment agreements, largely because 196 indicators are analytically complex (54%) and 175 require a legislative overview (48%). Further involving citizens in the GBF would progress environmental conservation.