Colombia’s environmental minister has stated that the upcoming Cop16 summit will prioritize nature in global biodiversity discussions, highlighting its importance on the international environmental agenda.
Colombia’s environment minister, Susana Muhamad, who is anticipated to lead Cop16, stated that her country will prioritize nature during the summit in order to make it a crucial aspect of the global environmental agenda leading up to Cop30 in the Brazilian Amazon in 2025. This is where countries will unveil their new plans for meeting the goals of the Paris agreement.
Muhamad informed the Guardian that while the climate has an impact on biodiversity, nature can also serve as a solution to the climate crisis. It may not be the only solution, but it is a crucial one and we aim to highlight its significance in preparation for Cop30 in Brazil.
“The goal of Cop16 is to establish momentum and prioritize nature as a key topic in these discussions,” she stated. “Sometimes, we tend to divide the global environmental agenda into various issues… However, it is crucial that we focus our efforts. For instance, preserving the Amazon is a concrete and effective action. The establishment of multinational marine protected areas is also a tangible step with benefits for both climate and biodiversity.”
Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, has announced that Cali will be the location for Cop16 in October. This will be the first summit on biodiversity since a significant agreement was reached at the end of 2022 in Montreal, Canada to address the alarming decline of biodiversity.
Leaders from various countries will gather in Cali, located approximately 50 miles from Colombia’s Pacific coast, to present their plans to achieve the biodiversity targets. These plans include pledges to safeguard 30% of land and sea for the preservation of nature, as well as to rehabilitate 30% of the world’s damaged ecosystems.
Muhamad stated he plans to utilize the summit as an opportunity to negotiate for increased recognition and funding for megadiverse countries. These nations are home to a significant portion of Earth’s biodiversity.
The global focus in 2024 will be on the environmental crisis, with events such as Brazil’s G20 leadership under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, where efforts will be made to establish economic frameworks to safeguard the Amazon. Additionally, the climate conference Cop29 will take place in Azerbaijan.
Colombia has become a leading environmental voice on the global stage. At Cop28 in Dubai last year, the leftwing Petro announced that Colombia would back calls for a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty, becoming the first large fossil fuel producer to do so. Petro said his country’s biodiversity would become the basis of its economic strength after the green transition.
The UN’s interim executive secretary for the convention on biological diversity, David Cooper, expressed confidence in Colombia as a host for Cop16 and praised their environmental leadership. He emphasized the significance of Cop16 in achieving this decade’s biodiversity goals, but also expressed concern over the potential impact of farmers’ protests against environmental policies on future commitments from countries.
He stated that preserving biodiversity and ecosystems are crucial for food and agriculture, but we are struggling to keep a shared focus.
“We are facing significant obstacles that must be addressed by political leaders taking action.”
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Source: theguardian.com
