Biodiversity or ‘biological diversity’ is the variety of life on earth and encompasses several levels from genes to species and communities to entire ecosystems. However, the earth’s biodiversity is under threat with critical habitats disappearing and millions of species facing extinction.
The aim of COP16, which took place in Cali, Colombia last month, was for delegates from around the world to meet and agree critical targets such as protecting 30% of the Earth to benefit nature and restructuring areas of the global financial system that cause damage to the environment. The summit ended with some positive decisions made but also no conclusions reached for some crucial issues.
The significant breakthroughs achieved during COP16 include the creation of potentially the world’s largest biodiversity conservation fund by agreeing a global levy, called the Cali Fund, on products made using digital sequencing data from genetic resources and officially including indigenous communities in the UN’s biodiversity decision making processes. Forty-four countries submitted national biodiversity strategies and action plans with 119 parties uploading their national targets. Other key areas where decisions were reached are the establishment of regional centres for scientific and technical cooperation; guidance on invasive species; the integration of UN level climate action and biodiversity and the establishment of procedures to describe ecologically significant marine areas essential for the protection of 30% of oceans by 2030.
COP16 will be resumed to address some of the outstanding decisions. COP17 will take place in Yerevan, Armenia in 2026.
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