CALI: Humanity faces an “existential crisis” as a result of its relentless destruction of nature, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned delegates on Tuesday at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Cali, Colombia.
Guterres delivered his urgent message to more than 23,000 registered delegates and 1,200 journalists gathered for the global biodiversity summit themed “Peace with Nature.”
The UN chief called for immediate action to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a set of 23 targets designed to halt and reverse nature destruction by 2030, established in Canada two years ago. Among these ambitious goals is the commitment to protect 30 percent of the world’s land, water, and oceans.
“Every day, we lose more species,” Guterres warned. “Every minute, we dump a garbage truck of plastic waste into our oceans, rivers, and lakes. Make no mistake. This is what an existential crisis looks like.”
The UN chief urged the 196 nations attending to turn their focus from “plundering… to preserving” natural resources, emphasizing that continued neglect of the environment would exacerbate global hunger, displacement, and conflict.
Despite the urgency, progress has been stymied by disagreements over funding and resource-sharing mechanisms. Delegates remain divided on how to equitably distribute profits derived from plant and animal genetic data used in industries such as medicine and cosmetics, with a particular focus on compensating indigenous communities. Furthermore, financial commitments to support developing nations in biodiversity preservation have lagged.
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) received pledges of $400 million this week from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Quebec. The $20 billion target set for 2025 is meant to be contributed by wealthier nations to help developing countries.
Progress in biodiversity preservation remains a concern. A recent report from conservation groups reveals that only 17.6 percent of global land and 8.4 percent of ocean and coastal areas are currently protected.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s updated Red List of Threatened Species highlights that over one-third of tree species, including those used for timber, medicine, and food, are now at risk of extinction.
Guterres urged participating countries to uphold commitments by submitting detailed biodiversity protection plans; however, only 36 nations have done so thus far. “Finance promises must be kept, and support to developing countries accelerated,” Guterres said.
The COP16 summit also brought together heads of state from Colombia, Armenia, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, and Suriname, as well as 115 government ministers and 44 deputies. The COP16 summit runs until Friday.
