Global Leaders Urge Immediate Action for Biodiversity at COP16

During the opening of the high-level segment of COP16, taking place in Cali, Colombia, world leaders issued a strong call to action and commitment to biodiversity protection, emphasizing that humanity’s survival hinges on these efforts. This event marks the beginning of critical discussions at COP16, where key decisions for biodiversity conservation are anticipated.

Participants include UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca, and Venezuelan Chancellor Yvan Gil, among other high-ranking officials.

Guterres warned that humanity is “waging a war” against nature, a conflict with no winners. He highlighted that temperatures continue to rise annually while species are lost and plastic waste pollutes oceans, rivers, and lakes.

The UN Secretary-General stressed the necessity for countries to enhance and fulfill their environmental commitments: “No country, rich or poor, is immune to the devastating consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution.”

He pointed out that these environmental crises are interconnected, transcending borders and wreaking havoc on ecosystems and livelihoods, thereby threatening human health and undermining sustainable development.

To tackle these challenges, he insisted on implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

 He underscored the need for a robust monitoring and information system to assess progress and a resource mobilization package aimed at raising at least $200 billion annually by 2030.