The COP16 World Nature Conference in Colombia was halted due to a lack of agreement on further financing for biodiversity protection, despite achieving partial understandings on key issues. Over 200 nations participated, but many delegates left due to time constraints. The financing debate was central, with developing countries expressing disappointment at industrial nations’ lack of commitment. Efforts for a new biodiversity fund were blocked by the EU, leaving crucial decisions on environmental funding unresolved.
The World Nature Conference COP16 in Colombia was abruptly concluded without an agreement on additional funding for species protection. Nevertheless, some fundamental issues were resolved.
The coffee stand has long been dismantled, the sun has risen and set again, and exhaustion has overtaken many attendees. Yet, the plenary sessions of the World Nature Conference continue to stretch on as negotiations persist. Approximately 200 nations are striving for consensus, but time is slipping away for the delegations. Increasingly, representatives are announcing their need to depart.
“We arrived with a delegation of ten, and I am the only one still here,” shared a delegate from Fiji. “Unfortunately, like our colleagues from Brazil, we cannot afford to change our flight bookings due to a lack of funds.”
After strenuous negotiations, the UN summit concluded with some partial successes, but many questions remain unresolved.
Funding at the Forefront
It is not just the Fijian delegates who are lacking resources; the same is true for biodiversity protection. Funding emerged as the primary contentious issue of the summit. The COP16 in Cali was interrupted just before 8:30 AM local time due to a lack of decision-making capacity.
The visibly exhausted Colombian Environment Minister and COP President, Susana Muhamad, struggles to hold back tears. “I am very tired,” she confided. However, despite the abrupt ending: Cali has not failed, and the decisions made thus far will stand.
The second week of the biodiversity conference will focus on discussions regarding the funding for species protection.
Progress Made
“No, the prior decisions remain in place,” affirmed Muhamad. “There were advancements regarding the interconnection of climate change and biodiversity, progress in marine protected areas, and the recognition of Indigenous and Afro-descendent communities has been strengthened through a dedicated body.”
Additionally, companies, particularly in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, that utilize genetic resources from nature for profit will be required to provide compensation to countries and communities that have preserved these plant and animal species over centuries.
At the World Nature Conference in Colombia, 200 nations discuss specific actions for nature conservation.
Disappointment in the Global South
However, the primary sticking point remains the overall funding for implementation. Countries from the global South are demanding greater commitment from industrialized nations, as explained by Brazil’s chief negotiator, Maria Angelica Ikeda: “Developing countries are very disappointed by the lack of openness from industrialized nations.”
UN Species Protection Conference – Minor Progress, No Financial Agreement
These are nations battling hunger, poverty, inequality, and urban violence while simultaneously working on environmental issues, often impacted by wildfires and flooding, Ikeda remarked. “Without resources for implementation, we will never achieve the goals of this convention.”
The contention revolves not just around the amount of funding but also the mechanism through which it will flow. Countries in the global South are advocating for a new biodiversity fund that offers them more decision-making power. The existing mechanism, managed by the World Bank, is dominated by industrialized nations.
Another international biodiversity conference is set to commence in Colombia.
EU Obstacles
However, the proposed new fund has been obstructed, in part, by the EU. “This does not mean that additional financial support cannot flow in the meantime. Germany will continue this effort,” said Florian Titze from WWF. “Other countries will do the same. However, this significantly undermines trust and cooperative problem-solving, causing a rift between the global South and North.”
Thus, the critical decision in Cali regarding how to finance the protection of nature and biodiversity has once again been postponed.