Biodiversity is being lost at a rate not seen since the last mass extinction. But the United Nations decade-old plan to slow down and eventually stop the decline of species and ecosystems by 2020 has failed. Most of the plan’s 20 targets - known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets - have not been met. The Aichi targets are part of an international agreement called the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, and member states are now finalizing replacements for them. Currently referred to as the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), its draft was published in July 2021. It aims to slow down the rate of biodiversity loss by 2030. And by 2050, biodiversity will be “valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people”. The GBF is a comprehensive plan. But success will require systemic change across public policy. That is both a strength and a weakness. If systemic change can be implemented, it will lead to real change. But if it cannot, there’s no plan B. This has led some researchers to argue that one target or number should be prioritized and defined in a way that is clear to the public and to policy makers. It would be biodiversity’s equivalent of the 2°C climate target.

Which of the following is correct expression of the author’s opinion as stated in passage?

Correct Option: implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity Framework (gbF) allows no middle ground for success or failure.

Explanation:

To determine the author's opinion as stated in the passage, let us analyze the specific lines discussing the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF):

The passage explicitly states: "If systemic change can be implemented, it will lead to real change. But if it cannot, there’s no plan B."

This statement directly conveys that the framework relies entirely on full implementation of systemic change without an alternative backup ("no plan B"). Therefore, it presents a clear binary outcome—either complete success (real change through implementation) or total failure without any intermediate alternative—meaning it allows no middle ground for success or failure.

Let's evaluate why the other options are incorrect based strictly on the passage:

1. "it is high time that countries re-evaluate the progress in achieving biodiversity targets." - The passage mentions that member states are finalizing replacements for failed targets, but does not express this specific opinion.

2. "biodiversity conservation should be prioritized over climate change at the global level." - The passage mentions comparing biodiversity targets to the 2°C climate target for clarity, but nowhere does it state that biodiversity should be prioritized over climate change.

3. "the post-2020 global biodiversity Framework (gbF) is the best way to prevent mass extinction." - The author highlights both strengths and weaknesses of the GBF, and notes that some researchers argue for a single prioritized target instead, so the author does not claim it is "the best way".

Thus, the correct expression of the author's opinion is that the implementation of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) allows no middle ground for success or failure.