As the world converges in Cali, Colombia, for the 16th United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16), the stakes have never been higher. Environmental leaders from nearly 200 nations gather with a shared mission: to prevent the irreversible loss of biodiversity.

This meeting follows the 2022 Montreal summit, where the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted, setting ambitious targets to reverse nature loss by 2030.

Two years on, the question remains—are we anywhere close to meeting these goals?

 

Ambitious Goals, Slow Progress

The 2022 Montreal summit laid down bold objectives. One of the most notable was the 30x30 pledge: to protect 30% of land and marine areas by 2030. At the time, only 17% of terrestrial and 10% of marine areas had been protected. Fast forward to COP16, and many nations still lag behind. As reported by Al Jazeera, only 31 out of 195 countries have submitted their national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) ahead of the summit.

“We have a problem here,” says Gavin Edwards, director of Nature Positive. He stresses that COP16 is an opportunity to remind nations of their commitments and course-correct before the 2030 deadline slips away entirely.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the submission of plans is worryingly low, with only about 10% of nations having met their obligations. The lack of national strategies threatens to stall the momentum needed to halt biodiversity decline.

The High Price of Inaction

The consequences of failing to meet these targets are dire. Biodiversity loss is accelerating, and species are being driven to extinction at an unprecedented rate. This is not just a crisis for plants and animals—humanity is at risk too. Biodiversity is crucial for food security, water supply, and the stability of global ecosystems. Indigenous communities, often the stewards of biodiversity, bear the brunt of this crisis. According to Reuters, Indigenous knowledge and rights are central to this year’s discussions, with leaders aiming to integrate traditional conservation methods into global strategies.

The stakes are especially high for developing countries, which host much of the world's remaining biodiversity. Wealthier nations agreed in 2022 to contribute $20 billion annually by 2025 to help developing nations meet their conservation goals. However, only $15.4 billion had been raised by 2022, leaving a significant funding gap that hinders efforts in biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon and Southeast Asia.

The Funding Dilemma

Financing biodiversity conservation remains one of the most contentious topics at COP16. Countries like Colombia and Brazil, rich in biodiversity but lacking the financial resources to protect it, are relying on wealthier nations to step up. The agreement reached in Montreal promised to raise $200 billion per year by 2030 from both public and private sources, but the shortfall in commitments is glaring. As AP News reports, this has left conservation efforts in a precarious position.

Susan Lieberman from the Wildlife Conservation Society, writing for PBS, echoes these concerns: “Many countries are saying, ‘We want to do this, but where’s the money?’”

Without adequate funding, it is impossible to create the protected areas or enforce the policies needed to meet the 30x30 goal. The developed world’s reliance on the Global South for natural resources and ecological services makes this funding essential not just for conservation but for global equity.

 

Is There Hope for 2030?

There is some progress. Canada has announced plans to allocate $800 million for Indigenous-led conservation projects, and several countries are expected to unveil new protected areas during COP16. However, the overall picture is one of cautious optimism at best. As WWF points out, many of the plans submitted so far lack clear metrics for tracking progress. Without measurable targets, there’s a risk of repeating the failures of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, which saw minimal success between 2011 and 2020.

The link between biodiversity loss and climate change is becoming harder to ignore. Destruction of ecosystems accelerates global warming, while climate change, in turn, decimates biodiversity. According to Reuters, COP16 will explore how countries can simultaneously address these intertwined crises. But, as with so many global summits, the fear remains that lofty goals will be met with insufficient action.

 

The Road Ahead

COP16 represents a pivotal moment in the fight against biodiversity loss. The promises made in 2022 were a hopeful start, but without rapid action, they may turn into empty words. For nations to meet their 2030 targets, they need to submit concrete plans, allocate sufficient funds, and integrate Indigenous knowledge into their conservation strategies. As AP News reports, the fate of millions of species—and perhaps even humanity itself—rests on the decisions made in Cali.