The fate of biodiversity is in the hands of the United Nations Member States and from today, the opening of the 16th daye At the Conference on Biological Diversity – or COP16 –, we will find out if concrete solutions can really see the light of day.
COP16, which opens today in Cali, Colombia, is a watershed moment for global biodiversity conservation. Two years after COP15, which gave rise to the Kunming-Montreal agreements, 196 participating states are meeting with the goal of turning commitments into concrete actions.
Challenges of this COP16
The main purpose of this conference is to monitor the implementation of the COP15 initiatives.
These measures, the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Agreements set 23, include a goal of protecting 30 percent of land and sea areas by 2030, reducing by half Pesticide Hazards », the fight against invasive alien species and, among other things, the integration of indigenous communities into negotiations that occupy a total of a quarter of the planet’s surface.
The agreement also includes a funding goal of up to $30 billion annually for each developed country for biodiversity by 2030.
The role of countries in this COP
So that these aspirations of COP15 do not turn into failures, a mechanism has been established to monitor the implementation of the measures. The idea is to report on progress made by States on commitments made.
World Conference on #Biodiversity Soon to begin – Switzerland is on the sidelines: it lacks an effective action plan. Expect poor states to protect their nature and be passive themselves. This is incomprehensible and irresponsible. https://t.co/xkkup7IHhB
— WWF Switzerland (@WWF_Suisse) 17 October 2024
But many countries have notably lagged behind in presenting their action plans at the start of the summit. Today, only 32 countries out of 196 have honored their commitment to submit a national biodiversity strategy, and about a hundred have submitted it.” National goals », represent national ambitions, projects, which they have to detail in their action plans.
COP16 will therefore be decisive to turn commitments into reality, otherwise biodiversity will continue to degrade at an alarming rate. Which will have profound effects on life. TereTere.