Colombia's Bold Call at COP16: A Coalition for Peace with Nature

At the COP16 biodiversity summit, Colombia, alongside 20 other nations, launched a coalition urging a harmonious human-nature relationship. The event highlights the urgency to halt environmental destruction by 2030. Leaders aim to mobilize funds for conservation and confront biodiversity loss, emphasizing that nature's survival is intertwined with humanity's.

In a significant development at the U.N. COP16 biodiversity talks, Colombia spearheaded a coalition with 20 nations to promote "peace with nature" amidst warnings of environmental destruction leading to human extinction.

The coalition brings together countries from four continents, excluding Asia-Pacific, united under principles to amend humanity's ties with nature through conservation and sustainable development. This summit in Cali, with participation from nearly 200 countries, seeks solutions to halt nature's decline by 2030.

At the summit's opening, key figures, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, highlighted the dire consequences of neglecting nature. Petro urged prioritizing life's value over profit, arguing that markets won't suffice for nature's preservation. The summit aims to enact 23 goals from the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including mobilizing $200 billion annually for conservation, though financial agreements remain elusive.

(With inputs from agencies.)