Convention on Biological Diversity

Name

Convention on Biological Diversity

Legal name

Convention on Biological Diversity

Website

https://cbd.int

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Environmental Governance / Biodiversity Policy

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

One Health & Zoonotic Disease Partnerships (Human–Animal–Environment) (HLAJAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Forest Certification, Compliance & Chain-of-Custody Support (AFAMAAAH)

Keywords

• International environmental treaty
• Biodiversity governance
• Multilateral policy framework
• Clearing-house information services
• Access and benefit-sharing

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Party Contributions: The Convention on Biological Diversity is funded primarily through assessed contributions from its 196 Parties (member states), calculated based on the UN scale of assessments. These contributions fund the Secretariat's core operations, meeting organization, and programme delivery.
2. Voluntary Contributions and Project Funding: Bilateral and multilateral donors provide voluntary contributions and project-specific funding to support specific programmes, initiatives, and capacity-building activities under the Convention. Examples include the China Trust Fund, Kunming Biodiversity Fund, and GEF-supported projects.
3. Cali Fund (Digital Sequence Information): The Cali Fund, established under Decision 15/10, operationalizes the multilateral mechanism for fair and equitable benefit-sharing from the use of Digital Sequence Information on genetic resources. Contributions from users of DSI support biodiversity conservation globally.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a multilateral environmental treaty that provides a legally binding global framework for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. The CBD Secretariat delivers this framework through three binding Protocols (Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, supported by three interoperable clearing-house platforms (CHM, BCH, ABSCH), the Online Reporting Tool (ORT), and a network of 18 Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centres. The Convention serves 196 Parties (member states) and engages indigenous peoples, local communities, NGOs, and the private sector in implementation.

Product overview

The Convention on Biological Diversity operates primarily as a UN intergovernmental organization rather than a technology products company. Its digital ecosystem consists of the main Convention website serving as the central portal for the CBD Secretariat, complemented by specialized clearing-house platforms: the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) for scientific cooperation, the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) for the Cartagena Protocol, and the Access and Benefit-Sharing Clearing-House (ABSCH) for the Nagoya Protocol. Additional platforms include the Online Reporting Tool (ORT) for stakeholder submissions. The organization also supports initiatives like the Bio-Bridge Initiative and coordinates a network of Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centres (TSCCs) to advance the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: The global biodiversity framework adopted at COP15 with targets for 2030
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• Nagoya Protocol

Products and services

• Convention on Biological Diversity Website The official website of the CBD Secretariat, serving as the central digital platform for information dissemination, document repository, news, meeting announcements, and stakeholder engagement for the UN biodiversity convention and its 196 Parties.
• Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) A platform that promotes and facilitates scientific and technical cooperation, knowledge sharing, and information exchange among Parties and partners under the Convention on Biological Diversity, establishing a fully operational network of Parties and partners.
• Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) A mechanism under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety that facilitates the exchange of information on Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) and assists Parties to better comply with their obligations under the Protocol.
• Access and Benefit-Sharing Clearing-House (ABSCH) A platform for exchanging information related to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing, serving as a key tool for facilitating its implementation across 196 Parties.
• Online Reporting Tool (ORT) An online platform that enables Parties to submit national reports under the Convention and its Protocols, and now allows non-state actors (cities, businesses, NGOs) to register commitments to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety An international treaty governing the transboundary movements of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology, with information exchange supported by the Biosafety Clearing-House.
• Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing An international treaty that provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, one of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework The world's blueprint to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, adopted by the Convention's 196 Parties at COP15 in December 2022, with 2030 targets, a monitoring framework, national reporting architecture, and a dedicated implementation webpage with progress tracking.
• Bio-Bridge Initiative (BBI) An initiative of the CBD Secretariat that facilitates technical and scientific cooperation between Parties to support biodiversity conservation, particularly for transboundary ecosystem management, including examples such as shared coral restoration between Colombia and Ecuador.

Quantifiable outcome

• 125 Parties submitted their 7th National Reports as of March 2026, demonstrating collective commitment to the KMGBF
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026The CBD Secretariat and ITTO renewed their longstanding partnership for four years until 2029, aimed at supporting Parties and ITTO member countries in implementing sustainable forest management and restoring degraded tropical forests. The collaboration helps ensure biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement in sustainably managed tropical forests, including through landscape restoration and expansion of protected areas.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO collaborates with the CBD Secretariat on biodiversity monitoring, traditional knowledge indicators, and implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. FAO and partners including ILC, WRI, and FPP are refining the methodology for Headline Indicator 22.1 (respect for indigenous and traditional knowledge) and strengthening engagement with national stakeholders in Kenya, Philippines, Peru, and Brazil.
• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP is a key institutional partner of the CBD, hosting the Secretariat's institutional framework. The CBD website identifies itself as part of the UN system under UNEP. The Secretariat works closely with UNEP on gender mainstreaming, resource mobilization, and mainstreaming biodiversity across UN processes.
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP collaborates with the CBD Secretariat on capacity-building, biodiversity finance (BIOFIN initiative), and national biodiversity strategy and action plan (NBSAP) implementation. The UNDP is a key partner in the TSCC workshop hosted by the Secretariat in January 2026.
• IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPBES provides the scientific assessments that inform CBD policy. SBSTTA-28 will consider findings from the IPBES business and biodiversity assessment (to be adopted at IPBES 12), and CBD decisions reference IPBES assessment reports as the evidentiary basis for the Global Biodiversity Outlook and KMGBF implementation.
• NBSAP Accelerator PartnershipsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NBSAP Accelerator Partnership supports countries in updating and implementing their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. Representatives participated in the TSCC workshop at the CBD Secretariat in January 2026.
• 18 Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centres (TSCCs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner18 TSCCs selected by Parties in 2024 form a global network supporting technical and scientific cooperation for KMGBF implementation. Representatives of all TSCCs participated in a global workshop hosted by the CBD Secretariat in Montreal in January 2026, with experts from UNEP, UNDP, NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, China Trust Fund, and the Kunming Biodiversity Fund.
• ICLEI – Local Governments for SustainabilitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI, through its Cities Biodiversity Center, supports cities in developing approaches to natural capital management. The Local Action for Biodiversity programme, developed in partnership with IUCN, aims to improve biodiversity planning and management for local and regional authorities. Mayor Valérie Plante of Montreal serves as ICLEI Global Ambassador for Local Biodiversity.
• Regions4 Sustainable DevelopmentsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegions4 represents states, regions, and provinces in UN negotiations on climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable development. It launched the Edinburgh Declaration in August 2020 calling for greater involvement of subnational and local governments in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. More than 130 subnational authorities have endorsed the Declaration.
• Ramsar Convention on WetlandssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ramsar Convention collaborates with the CBD on wetland biodiversity and the Wetland City accreditation programme, which recognizes cities for protecting and enhancing urban and peri-urban wetlands. Ramsar data and frameworks support KMGBF implementation.
• Bio-Bridge Initiative (BBI) Partners: Corales de Paz (Colombia) and CONMAR (Ecuador)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder the Bio-Bridge Initiative, not-for-profit organizations Corales de Paz (Colombia) and CONMAR (Ecuador) have been joining forces since 2022 to share coral restoration expertise and bolster community-based conservation in the transboundary coral reef ecosystem off the coasts of Colombia and Ecuador.
• Indigenous Land and Community Consortium (ILC)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerILC is a partner in the Traditional Knowledge Indicators Workshop held in Cambridge, UK in January 2026, contributing to the refinement of Headline Indicator 22.1 under the KMGBF and rights-based biodiversity monitoring.
• World Resources Institute (WRI)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRI is a partner in the Traditional Knowledge Indicators Workshop and biodiversity monitoring work under the KMGBF. WRI contributed to the refinement of Headline Indicator 22.1 methodology and stakeholder engagement in Kenya, Philippines, Peru, and Brazil.
• Forest Peoples Programme (FPP)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFPP participated in the Traditional Knowledge Indicators Workshop in Cambridge, UK (January 2026), contributing to rights-based biodiversity monitoring approaches under the KMGBF, with a focus on indigenous peoples' knowledge systems.
• United Nations in BrusselssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple UN entities represented in Brussels are participating in the EU Green Week 2026 high-level conference (June 3-4, Brussels), showcasing initiatives promoting nature-based solutions, climate resilience, and sustainable resource management. The CBD is part of this UN system participation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): UNFCCC is the closest structural analogue to the CBD: a multilateral environmental treaty with near-universal membership (198 Parties), a Conference of the Parties, subsidiary bodies, and a Secretariat. Both Conventions operate assessed-contribution funding, national reporting, and clearing-house infrastructure — making UNFCCC the natural benchmark for CBD's governance, scale, and resourcing model.
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): CITES is a multilateral treaty regulating international trade in endangered species with 184 Parties and a Secretariat in Geneva. It is closely comparable to CBD because it operates binding species-protection rules, uses a Party-driven COP model, and shares stakeholders with the CBD on wildlife and biosafety.
• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: The Ramsar Convention is a global environmental treaty with 172 Parties dedicated to wetland conservation. It is directly comparable to CBD because it operates the same multilateral-treaty governance model (COP, national focal points, reporting obligations) and is explicitly listed as a CBD implementation partner under KMGBF.
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): CMS is a UN environmental treaty with 133 Parties conserving migratory species across borders. Its governance structure (COP, subsidiary bodies, Secretariat in Bonn) and biodiversity focus mirror the CBD's, and it is a recurring CBD implementation partner.
• Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): IPBES is the scientific assessment body for biodiversity (134 Members) that produces evidence informing CBD policy. It is comparable to the CBD because it serves as the science-policy interface for biodiversity and is explicitly cited in CBD decisions and the Global Biodiversity Outlook.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): UNEP is the CBD's parent institution within the UN system and provides institutional oversight and coordination across multilateral environmental agreements. UNEP is comparable to CBD as the umbrella under which the CBD Secretariat operates and as a co-implementer on biodiversity mainstreaming and resource mobilization.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): IUCN is a global membership-based conservation organization (governmental and civil society members) producing the Red List and providing technical guidance. It is comparable to CBD because it supports Convention implementation (e.g., on protected areas, species, ecosystem-based approaches) and shares many of the same national focal points and observer organizations.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): FAO is a core CBD partner on biodiversity in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and co-leads refinement of Headline Indicator 22.1 (traditional knowledge) with the CBD. It is comparable to CBD because it delivers global policy on biodiversity-relevant sectors and shares many multilateral governance practices.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): WRI is a global research organization that partners with the CBD on biodiversity monitoring, KMGBF indicators, and stakeholder engagement (Kenya, Philippines, Peru, Brazil). It is comparable to CBD because it produces the data, tools, and policy analysis that operationalize biodiversity commitments globally.
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants: The Stockholm Convention is a multilateral environmental treaty with 186 Parties regulating hazardous chemicals, operating a similarly structured COP, Secretariat, and clearing-house (the POPs portal). It is comparable to CBD as a sibling MEAs under UNEP with near-universal membership and shared governance practices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/chmcbd
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNBiodiversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unbiodiversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/unbiodiversity
• Xx.com/unbiodiversity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Convention on Biological Diversity