The UN biodiversity summit opened in Cali, Colombia, with calls for urgent action and financing to combat biodiversity loss, as nearly a million species face extinction. The Colombian Environment Minister, Susana Muhamad, urged delegates for immediate funding solutions. Security concerns arose due to threats from the EMC guerrilla group. The summit aims to achieve 23 targets to reverse nature loss by 2030, while only a fraction of oceans are currently protected. U.N. Secretary-General Guterres emphasized the need for substantial financial commitments, targeting $200 billion annually by 2030 to protect global biodiversity.
The United Nations biodiversity summit, recognized as the largest global conference dedicated to nature protection, commenced in Cali, Colombia, on October 21, 2024. Colombian Environment Minister and COP16 president Susana Muhamad delivered a stirring opening address, urging immediate and robust action alongside financial commitments to combat the rampant degradation of biodiversity. “The planet doesn’t have time to lose,” she emphatically stated to representatives from approximately 196 nations. With nearly a million species on the brink of extinction worldwide, the urgency of the summit is underscored. Minister Muhamad acknowledged the prevailing consensus on the necessity of better funding for conservation efforts and called for innovative financing sources to address this critical issue. The conference, themed “Peace with Nature,” is anticipated to bring together around 23,000 delegates, including government officials and heads of state, to devise monitoring and financing strategies. These plans aim to achieve 23 distinct targets established at COP15 in 2022, with the objective of reversing nature loss by 2030. The deliberations are taking place under heightened security measures, with over 10,000 law enforcement personnel deployed in response to threats from the EMC armed group, which urged foreign delegations to abstain from attending and questioned the summit’s potential efficacy. With only five years remaining to fulfill a target of designating 30 percent of terrestrial and marine ecosystems as protected areas, the stakes are particularly high. Alarmingly, only 8.4 percent of the world’s oceans currently qualify as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), a fact highlighted by Greenpeace policy advisor Megan Randles, who cautioned that at the current pace, this target would not be met until the next century. CBD Executive Secretary Astrid Schomaker informed attendees that so far, 34 out of 196 participating countries have submitted National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans necessary for achieving UN biodiversity goals. While some progress has been made, Schomaker emphasized that it is not at the requisite speed. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the importance of turning commitments into action, highlighting the need to enlarge the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), which has accumulated approximately $250 million in pledges since its inception last year. The overarching ambition is to mobilize a minimum of $200 billion annually by 2030, with $20 billion earmarked specifically for support to developing countries by 2025. A failure in natural resource stewardship, such as pollination and clean water supply, could incur losses to the global economy in the trillions. Furthermore, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that a notable percentage of assessed species are threatened with extinction, with wildlife populations dwindling by an average of 73 percent between 1970 and 2020. Another pivotal agenda point includes establishing mechanisms for equitable benefit-sharing derived from the genetic resources of biodiversity, such as medicinal plants, ensuring that communities in low-income nations receive fair compensation for their contributions. As the host nation, Colombia is emblematic of biodiversity, yet it grapples with a complex history of armed conflict involving multiple factions. President Gustavo Petro has prioritized environmental stewardship, which is paramount as the nation navigates fragile peace agreements.
The UN biodiversity summit is a critical global conference that addresses the pressing issues surrounding the degradation of biodiversity and species extinction. With the imminent threat of environmental collapse, the summit aims to mobilize international efforts toward sustainable conservation outcomes. The conference brings together delegates from various countries, focusing on enhancing funding mechanisms and cooperation to achieve biodiversity targets established by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Underlying this conference is an urgent call to action in light of alarming statistics regarding species loss and the current status of protected marine and terrestrial areas.
In conclusion, the COP16 summit in Colombia represents a pivotal moment for global biodiversity efforts. With urgent calls for action and financial support from country representatives, the conference strives to meet the pressing targets necessary for environmental sustainability. The decisions made in these discussions will profoundly impact the protection of biodiversity and the health of ecosystems for future generations, highlighting the critical importance of immediate and coordinated international action.
Original Source: www.seychellesnewsagency.com
