Biodiversity attack and decline by editorial

From tomorrow to next November 1, COP16 will be held in Cali (Colombia). The central objective of this United Nations-sponsored summit, which is attended by representatives of 196 countries, is the fight to halt the loss of biodiversity on our planet. Extinction of species has accelerated in recent years due to their inherent nature in evolutionary cycles. It is estimated that one million of the eight million known species of animals and plants are currently in danger of extinction, as they suffer from various forms of aggression at the hands of humans. There are also concerns about attacks against indigenous people, who have been deprived of their habitat and, thus, are in grave danger. It should therefore not be surprising that COP16 is held under the motto of “peace with nature”, as it often gives the impression that humans are at war tirelessly against it.

The Cali meeting follows the one held in Montreal (Canada) in 2022. At this meeting, COP15, relevant decisions were taken, which are specified in the definition of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the purpose of which is to analyze the level of compliance with commitments. Received by the participating countries. Each of them made contributions closely related to the availability of economic resources to accomplish their objectives. Unfortunately, the above 2022 commitments have, for the most part, remained unfulfilled. Only 31 of the 196 countries that showed their commitment to act in 2022 have solidified them by drafting action plans, which does not always mean that they have started implementing them. The remaining signatories have not developed or finalized their plans either.

Cali hosts COP16 with aim to halt loss of animal and plant species

However, the agreements reached in Canada were clear and specific. It was then agreed that 30% of the Earth and 30% of the ocean would be protected. As you can see, they were not omnipresent objectives, but rather of a gradual nature, in which the need to act and, at the same time, the difficulty of doing so with maximum ambition were clearly recognized. Yet, in practice, they have been violated.

Warnings and even alarm calls issued from the highest levels are of little use. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the economic dimension of biodiversity loss at COP16 yesterday, pointing out that if free natural services such as pollination or water regeneration are affected and decline, the consequences for the global economy could be tremendous. . For his part, the host country’s President, Gustavo Petro, blamed global finance for attacks against biodiversity, which he described as “these days linked to greed and death”.

The agreements reached in Montreal two years ago remain largely incomplete

We must understand what we are immersed in
Fight against time and, as such, cannot be postponed. every day that
passes without progress and each extinct species causes irreparable damage. It appears that we are so attentive to other conflicts, in which two or more countries confront each other, that we are not able to notice the seriousness of the aggression of all countries against nature, that fundamental good. That which gives birth to us, gives us shelter and should guarantee our future.

For all that has been said so far, the big challenge of this COP16 is the definition of the mechanisms that ensure the annual economic contribution of the countries participating in said meeting. Strengthening biodiversity and developing appropriate technologies to achieve it is a huge task, requiring equally huge resources. The figure of $200,000 million is assumed with a horizon of the year 2030. This is undoubtedly a very significant amount. But in any case it should not be forgotten that such a figure can be shared by the treasuries of almost all countries of the world, as well as by the public and private sectors on a different scale, which in this case is also called decisive. Is. Collaboration. And that some way must be found to collect it, or at least a large part of it. Because these policies in favor of biodiversity, aimed at preserving the ecosystems in which we live, benefit to a greater or lesser extent all countries on the planet and, moreover, require the greatest urgency.