STATEMENT: Conservation International Chief Strategy Officer: “We are not leaving COP16 empty-handed”

ARLINGTON, Va. (Nov. 2, 2024) – Today, Conservation International’s Chief Strategy Officer Patricia Zurita issued the following statement following the conclusion of the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity – known as COP16 – in Cali, Colombia. Zurita said:

“Two years ago, the world applauded as nearly 200 countries agreed to conserve 30 percent of the world’s land and sea by 2030. This year, at COP16, the biggest question was how to realize that ambition.

“Today, with nature on life support, negotiators are walking away from the table without an operable fund for global conservation, without a broader resource mobilization plan, and without a full monitoring framework to hold countries accountable. This is a serious disappointment, and it threatens all life on Earth.

“Still, even as governments deadlocked on make-or-break financial issues, we are not leaving empty-handed. Notably, parties recognized the role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in stewarding key ecosystems, agreeing to elevate their voices in future negotiations. This is a historic step forward. Parties also formally acknowledged the unique role of Afro-descendant people in the conservation of biodiversity. 

“We also leave COP16 heartened by the innovation and commitment outside the negotiation rooms — from civil society, IPLCs and the private sector.

“But nothing will change inside those rooms until leaders stop accepting stalemate as a legitimate outcome. While parties continue to keep to entrenched positions — without enabling concrete and urgent implementation — the world around us grows warmer, deadlier, more volatile.

“In mere weeks, we will gather again in Baku for COP29, and next year we will convene in Brazil, where we expect the role of nature as a climate solution to take center stage. We cannot afford to let the little progress in Cali derail upcoming climate negotiations.

“As was formally acknowledged at COP16, climate change and biodiversity loss are twin crises, and nature conservation and restoration are key to solving both in tandem. In the coming weeks and years, actions must be bolder. Decisions must be faster. Commitments must be backed by credible financial pledges.

“Conservation International will continue to work with IPLCs and other stakeholders to demonstrate to the world that nature is our lifeblood. We remain hopeful that leaders will heed this call and cast aside their entrenched positions to work together. Our future depends on it.”

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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Visit Conservation.org for more, and follow us on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.