Colombia’s environment minister has expressed that the upcoming Cop16 summit will prioritize nature as a key aspect of the international environmental agenda during global biodiversity discussions.
Susana Muhamad, Colombia’s environment minister, who is expected to be the Cop16 president, said the South American country would use the summit to ensure nature was a key part of the global environmental agenda in the year building up to the climate Cop30 in the Brazilian Amazon in 2025, where countries will present new plans on how they will meet the Paris agreement.
Muhamad explained to the Guardian that while the changing climate is impacting biodiversity, nature can also be a solution to the crisis. While it may not be the sole solution, it is a crucial component and we are striving to highlight its significance leading up to Cop30 in Brazil.
“We need to create the momentum and the role of Cop16 is to make nature a pillar of those discussions,” she said. “I think sometimes we divide the international environmental agenda into many issues … [but] we need to concentrate. For example, saving the Amazon is a practical and tangible action. The creation of multinational marine protected areas is a tangible action that has results for the 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 groundbreaking agreement was reached at the UN in Montreal, Canada in late 2022 to address the widespread depletion of biodiversity.
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Leaders from various countries are traveling to Cali, a location approximately 50 miles away from Colombia’s Pacific coast, to share their country’s strategies for meeting biodiversity goals. These plans involve protecting 30% of both land and sea for the sake of nature, as well as restoring 30% of the world’s damaged ecosystems.
Muhamad plans to utilize the summit as an opportunity to negotiate for greater acknowledgement and funding for megadiverse countries. These nations are known for harboring a significant portion of the world’s biodiversity.
The global spotlight in 2024 will center on the environmental crisis, with a focus on Brazil’s G20 presidency led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who aims to promote economic strategies for safeguarding the Amazon. Additionally, the Cop29 climate summit will take place in Azerbaijan.
Colombia has emerged as a prominent advocate for the environment on an international level. During Cop28 in Dubai last year, the progressive leader Petro declared that Colombia would support the proposal for a treaty on non-proliferation of fossil fuels, making it the first major producer of fossil fuels to do so. Petro stated that his country’s rich biodiversity will serve as the foundation for its economic success in the midst of transitioning towards sustainability.
The UN convention on biological diversity’s acting executive secretary, David Cooper, expressed confidence that Colombia would make for an inspiring host for Cop16 and provide valuable leadership in environmental matters. He emphasized the significance of Cop16 in meeting the biodiversity targets for this decade, but also voiced concern over the impact of farmers’ protests against environmental policies on countries’ future commitments.
“He expressed that safeguarding biodiversity and maintaining healthy ecosystems are crucial for food and agriculture, but unfortunately, we are not successfully prioritizing this important task.”
There are significant obstacles ahead. It is crucial for political leaders to take action.
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Source: theguardian.com
