COP16 in summary
The 2024 Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) took place recently, from 21st October to 1st November in Cali, Colombia. This was the first Biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15 in 2022 (click here for a recap of this landmark agreement). At COP16, governments were tasked with reviewing the state of implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework and demonstrating that their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) align with the Framework.
So, what was ultimately achieved at the summit? We asked two leading Chartered Environmentalists working to protect biodiversity day in, day out, for their reflections and calls to action.
CEnv reaction
Claire Wansbury CEnv, AtkinsRéalis Fellow and Technical Director:
“It is exciting to see momentum building on the Global Biodiversity Framework, but we cannot be complacent. We are almost halfway through the decade where the United Nations is calling on the world to change trajectory from a time of nature loss to nature recovery. One of the major actions governments were to take at COP16 was to present their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, and it is disappointing how many failed to do so altogether or, like the United Kingdom, were only able to submit the first step, a list of targets.
I have been particularly heartened by how much environmental professionals and the wider business world is engaging. The first Business and Biodiversity Forum was held over a decade ago at COP11 and involved about sixty people. At COP16 the equivalent Forum event had over 700 attendees. While this is really encouraging, we must recognise that many businesses and decision makers are still unaware of the vital importance of acting on nature loss. One thing we can all do as environmental professionals is raise awareness of the issues, but not just focussing on the challenges we face – we also need to share positive examples of genuine success. With colleagues across the globe, I have been working on a thought leadership document ‘Natural Resilience’, to share inspiring articles and case studies.”
Find out more about what AtkinsRéalis are doing for Natural Resilience via the ‘useful links and resources’ section below.
Jenny Merriman CEnv, Technical Director – Nature Advisory at WSP UK:
“COP16 was billed as the COP of the people. In that respect, it delivered in relation to the establishment of a formal body for representation of Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in future discussions. It also saw parties agree to a specific fund (the Cali Fund) to channel finance to IPLCs, for their contribution to protecting the genetic resources that healthcare, biotechnology, cosmetics and pharmaceutical companies, in particular, rely on. This means that for businesses in these sectors, a percentage of their profits will go to supporting conservation on the ground by these communities. Noting that this agreement is currently voluntary, it could take some time to see significant funds but some expect this could be up to $1 billion annually going into conservation efforts and local livelihoods.
Other takeaways for business include the significant increase in attendance from private sector, with over 3000 business and finance delegates – up from Montreal. This reflects momentum across these sectors to understand and address nature-related issues. Key topics covered included:
- The need for a consensus on core practical metrics for tracking the state of nature. A consultation being led by Nature Positive Initiative ends on 4 November with guidance being released in early 2025.
- The TNFD announced over 500 organisations now signed up to be adopters of the framework through their disclosures, including financial institutions representing USD 17.7 trillion in assets under management, and 25% of the world’s systemically important banks. This was hailed as a tipping point for mainstreaming disclosures on nature and we will see pressure from company investors to use the TNFD disclosures for decisions on their investment portfolios.
- Biodiversity credits was a popular topic with many sessions bursting beyond capacity. The IAPB released their framework on high integrity credits and several sessions showcased examples of how credits were being used to restore terrestrial and coastal ecosystems.”
Find out more about what WSP are doing for biodiversity via the ‘useful links and resources’ section below.
