COP16: A Crossroads for Global Biodiversity Conservation

At the U.N. COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali, countries are grappling with funding strategies for conserving nature amidst unprecedented species decline. The summit aims to implement the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, emphasizing the 30-by-30 conservation goal while addressing various logistical and political challenges.

As the U.N. COP16 biodiversity summit enters its second week in Cali, delegates face a stalemate over financing strategies to preserve nature. With biodiversity in rapid decline, scientists raise alarms about the urgency needed in conservation efforts.

Currently, 38% of tree species are threatened with extinction due to human activities, as per IUCN reports. IUCN Director Grethel Aguilar urged immediate action to protect these vulnerable species during a news conference at the summit.

The meeting, part of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, strives to enforce 23 aims from the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Achieving the 30-by-30 target, protecting 30% of global land and sea by 2030, remains a major focus.

(With inputs from agencies.)