The UK has concluded negotiations on Digital Sequence Information (DSI) at CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia.
Digital Sequence Information is genetic information that has been sequenced from the natural world. The DNA code is then made available online for use in research.
Companies worldwide use this type of data to create new medicines, vaccines, and other products.
By continuing to ensure it is freely available digitally, scientists will be able to share information, develop products we rely on, and support the conservation of nature.
DSI helps industries become more resilient to climate change
Digital Sequence Information can be applied to medicine, agriculture, conservation and public health, with benefits such as developing vaccines or adapting plants to be more resilient to climate change.
The deal reached means businesses have the option of voluntarily contributing to a new fund – known as the Cali Fund – if they use this genetic information from nature.
This Fund will then support further use of DSI and the conservation and sustainable use of nature, with a significant proportion flowing to Indigenous people and local communities.
Nature Minister Mary Creagh explained: “We have seen the many benefits of DSI, including identifying infectious diseases, predicting which plants will survive in a warming climate, or helping protect threatened species.
“More than half of the global economy is estimated to be dependent in some way on the ecosystem services that nature provides, so this latest deal is critical in supporting future growth and development.”
Protecting the benefits of natural resources
Over 196 governments – plus businesses, researchers, Indigenous peoples and local communities – have been involved in reaching this deal.
“Nature underpins every aspect of our economy. The benefits of natural resources – including through Digital Sequence Information – must be valued and shared fairly, which is why this deal is so important,” said Eva Zabey, Chief Executive at Business for Nature.
Bupe Mwambingu, Biodiversity Partnerships Manager at Basecamp Research, a UK-based company which is working to build the first fully traceable DSI database, added: “We are thrilled to welcome the COP16 decision on Digital Sequence Information.
“We believe that by working together to address the challenges around DSI, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate the development of life-saving medicines, sustainable food supplies, and carbon-negative industries while also driving the protection of our planet’s precious biodiversity.”
The UK government will now work with industry on developing a voluntary mechanism to accelerate the implementation of DSI at scale.
