At the COP16 biodiversity conference in Cali, Colombia, the nation took a leadership role by forming a coalition with 20 countries aimed at “making peace with nature.” This coalition, which includes nations from four continents, is united around principles that encourage sustainable development, conservation funding, and a commitment to international cooperation. The urgency was underscored by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who warned that humanity’s continued environmental destruction could lead to its own demise.
The COP16 summit, involving nearly 200 countries, is focused on implementing the goals of the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This framework, established at a previous biodiversity summit, outlines 23 goals aimed at halting nature loss by 2030. Central to this vision is the “30-by-30” goal, which calls for conserving 30% of global land and marine territories within the next six years. However, funding has become a primary hurdle, with advocates stressing the need for billions rather than millions in global conservation investment. So far, pledges have fallen short, with only $400 million committed to the newly created Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, a figure that many activists believe is inadequate for the scale of work needed.
Beyond financial concerns, leaders at COP16 are highlighting the role of Indigenous communities in conservation. The summit is close to reaching consensus on formally including Indigenous groups in biodiversity decision-making, which would give these communities a voice within the official United Nations framework. This recognition is considered essential, as Indigenous practices are often deeply aligned with environmental preservation.
International conservation organizations, including The Nature Conservancy and the Agence Française de Développement, have also announced plans to support biodiversity through initiatives like debt-for-nature swaps. These swaps allow developing nations to reduce their debt in exchange for committing to environmental conservation, a concept that has shown promise in regions like the Galapagos Islands. President Petro has been a vocal advocate for debt-for-nature swaps, even discussing possible agreements with countries like Germany to help Colombia achieve its environmental goals.
Speakers at the conference stressed the existential nature of the biodiversity crisis. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the current environmental crisis as humanity’s “war against nature,” urging governments to prioritize life over profit. With rapid biodiversity loss, including threats to 38% of tree species worldwide, experts warned that there is no time to delay. Grethel Aguilar, Director at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), highlighted the alarming rate of species extinction, especially due to activities like logging, farming, and mining.
The stakes at COP16 are high, as countries seek practical solutions and funding to support the ambitious 30-by-30 conservation target. The UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen emphasized that reaching this goal requires not only protected areas but prioritizing regions of high ecological value, ensuring conservation efforts target the most vulnerable ecosystems. As the summit continues, countries are tasked with bridging the gap between ambitious targets and the resources needed to make them a reality, hoping to make meaningful progress before the conference concludes.
Image is in the public domain and was created by the Ministry of Environment of Colombia.