CALI, Colombia — On Tuesday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, called upon nations to make renewed commitments aimed at protecting global biodiversity while emphasizing the need for private sector involvement.
“Nature is life, and yet we are waging a war against it, a war where there can be no winner,” Guterres remarked during his opening address at the U.N. biodiversity summit, COP16, taking place in Cali, Colombia.
He highlighted that the situation is dire, stating, “Every day, we lose more species. Every minute, we dump a garbage truck of plastic waste into our oceans, rivers, and lakes. This is what an existential crisis looks like.”
This two-week summit serves as a continuation of the landmark agreement reached in Montreal in 2022, which encompasses 23 measures aimed at nurturing Earth’s plant and animal life.
Guterres’ urgent remarks followed a day of stalled negotiations regarding funding for conservation efforts. On Monday, eight nations pledged an additional $163 million to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. Environmental advocates, however, argue that this amount is drastically below the billions deemed necessary for effective global biodiversity preservation.
Currently, the fund has accrued a total of $400 million, intended to provide focused support to nations and communities working to conserve and restore plant and animal species, as well as ecosystems.
“We need much more commitment from a broader array of countries,” stated Kristian Teleki, CEO of the conservation organization Fauna & Flora.
The 2022 agreement, which has been signed by 196 countries, stipulates the need to protect 30% of land and waters by the year 2030, known as the ‘30 by 30’ goal. At the time of signing, only 17% of terrestrial areas and 10% of marine territories were under protection, a figure that has not seen significant improvement.
According to a report published on Monday by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 38% of the world’s trees are facing extinction, with the number of threatened trees exceeding that of threatened bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species combined.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro delivered a 40-minute address, emphasizing the necessity of shifting away from fossil fuel reliance to safeguard the planet. “A different way of production is needed to ensure the survival of life on Earth and humanity,” Petro stated.
Guterres stressed that no nation, whether rich or poor, is shielded from the destructive impacts of climate change, loss of biodiversity, land degradation, and pollution.
“These environmental crises are interconnected and recognize no borders; they are decimating ecosystems, disrupting livelihoods, threatening human health, and undermining sustainable development,” he asserted, attributing these challenges to outdated economic models.
He urged that promises of financial support from countries must transform into tangible action, indicating that assistance for developing nations should be expedited.
“We cannot leave Cali without new commitments or efforts to leverage additional public and private financing for the Framework,” he emphasized, insisting that the private sector must also take responsibility. “Those who profit from nature must not treat it as an endless resource.”
Guterres also underscored the critical role of Indigenous peoples, as well as local communities and people of African descent, labeling them as the “guardians of nature.”
“Their traditional knowledge constitutes a living library of biodiversity conservation,” he articulated, adding, “They must be safeguarded and included in all discussions regarding biodiversity.”