The 16th World Biodiversity Conference (COP16), which begins on Monday, October 21, in Cali, Colombia, won't end with the signing of a completely new agreement or commitments to protect the planet. But this meeting – the equivalent of the COP on climate – is no less important: Now is the time to implement the promises made two years ago in Montreal, Canada.
At COP15 in December 2022, the 196 parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Kunming-Montreal Framework, dubbed the "Paris Agreement of biodiversity." It contains 23 targets (including protecting 30% of land and seas, halving the risk from pesticides and restoring 30% of degraded areas) aimed at halting the loss of species and ecosystems by 2030. These measures match the urgency of the situation: Science has shown that the destruction of nature is reaching record levels, putting humanity at risk.
"We started [at COP15] with unprecedented commitments and understanding of the importance of biodiversity," recalled Astrid Schomaker, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, at the end of August. "At COP16, the parties will have to demonstrate that they can put their promises into action. Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century."
The current signals are alarming: Almost a million animal and plant species are in danger of disappearing over the next few decades, wild vertebrate populations are declining and ecosystems are approaching dangerous tipping points. More than 6.3 million hectares of forest were destroyed in 2023, the equivalent of 9 million football pitches. The main causes of this crisis, all linked to human activities, are habitat destruction (due in particular to intensive agriculture and urbanization); over-exploitation (fishing, timber, hunting, etc.); climate change; pollution (pesticides, plastic, etc.); and invasive species. Yet human populations depend on species and ecosystems for food, heating, medicine, climate regulation, coping with extreme events and well-being.
The first objective of the Cali conference will be to take stock of the progress made over the last two years. Before COP16, countries had undertaken to present their new national strategies, which were supposed to translate the commitments made within the global framework. But by mid-October, only around 30 parties (including France and the European Union) had submitted their plans. More than 90 countries that failed to finalize a comprehensive strategy unveiled some national targets. "One wonders how serious this is, given that countries have only six years to implement their commitments. We have reason to be disappointed," said Arnaud Gilles, head of environmental diplomacy at WWF France.
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