Global progress on 2030 Nature Targets stalls ahead of UN COP16 Summit
(The Post News)- The UN COP16 talks are underway in Cali, Colombia, with nearly 200 nations gathering to address the world’s alarming rate of biodiversity loss. In 2022, countries made a landmark pledge to halt the destruction of nature by the end of the decade, but two years later, they’re already lagging behind.
The main concern for countries and companies is how to pay for conservation. The COP16 talks aim to develop new initiatives to generate revenue for nature. Gavin Edwards, Director of Nature Positive, says they have a problem and that COP16 is an opportunity to re-energize and remind everyone of their commitments made two years ago.
The rate of destruction of nature through activities like logging or overfishing has not reduced, while governments have missed deadlines on their biodiversity action plans. Funding is billions of dollars away from meeting the 2025 goal. With the summit taking place in Colombia, marking its 16th meeting of nations since the 1992 Convention on Biodiversity, it’s set to be the biggest biodiversity summit to date.
The participation and pressure can push countries toward bolder conservation actions. However, most countries have yet to submit national plans, known as National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), despite agreeing to do so by the start of COP16. Only 31 out of 195 countries have filed a plan to the UN biodiversity secretariat.
Susana Muhamad, Colombia’s environment minister and COP16 president, says the summit needs to assess the submitted plans and address why others are late. Since there’s a two-year lag in data, countries won’t learn how much is spent on nature this year until after the goal kicks in. Muhamad urges nations to consider climate change plans as part of their biodiversity agenda.
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