The Future Forest Company Response to COP16

The 16th UN Conference of the Parties summit (Cop16) in Cali, Colombia, has now ended. Leaders from 196 countries around the world came together to discuss the state of life on earth, and to negotiate vital agreements to preserve biodiversity. The slogan of Cop16 was Peace with Nature, in recognition of the urgent need to halt our current overexploitation of nature. Sadly, the conference ended with many issues left unresolved.

Delayed biodiversity plans

Countries were meant to submit national plans (NBSAPs) detailing how they would protect 30% of their land and sea for nature, as agreed at Cop15 in 2022, but the vast majority of countries had not submitted their proposals when the conference began. Reasons for failing to submit plans included not having the time needed to put plans in place, with many developing countries citing a lack of funding. The UK has said it will submit its plan in 2025.

Finance stalemate

One of the key priorities ahead of Cop16 was to implement a strategy detailing how nature protection is going to be funded. Previous targets included $20bn of “fair share” contributions to be given by richer countries to biodiversity-rich developing countries by 2025. For the most part, these commitments have not been met. Pledges made by wealthier countries at Cop16 fall far short of what is needed to meet their commitments. 

Biodiversity targets left unmonitored

Equally concerning is a lack of consensus on how vital biodiversity targets will be monitored, despite this also being identified as a key priority ahead of the summit. At Cop15 in 2022, 23 targets and four goals were agreed upon, but at the close of Cop16 it remains undecided how progress on these targets will be officially tracked. This lack of commitment and urgency is deeply concerning. As Brian O’Donnell, director of the Campaign for Nature, said ,“The world doesn’t have time for business as usual.”

Essential nature restoration projects

Urgently addressing the biodiversity crisis is a cornerstone of what we do at The Future Forest Company. We are approaching dangerous, irreversible tipping points if biodiversity loss continues at the current rate. Our projects actively contribute to the protection and restoration of our diverse ecosystems, restoring vital habitats for wildlife. Partner with us today by sponsoring our work to support nature restoration in the UK.