🌍 \"The Planet Doesn't Have Time to Lose\": Urgent Calls at COP16 in Colombia
Hey, amigos! The world's eyes are on Colombia this week as nearly 200 countries gather for the United Nations COP16 summit in Cali, the vibrant city southwest of Bogotá. 🌆 Leaders are sounding the alarm: it's time to step up and fund the fight against nature's rapid destruction! 🌿💰
\"The planet doesn't have time to lose,\" declared COP16 President Susana Muhamad, who is also Colombia's Environment Minister, at the opening meeting on Monday. \"We all agree that we are underfunded for this mission.\" ⏳
Two years ago, countries adopted the groundbreaking Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, setting 23 ambitious goals to halt nature loss by 2030. But here's the catch: they need a whopping $200 billion per year to make it happen! 💸🌱
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund was established last year, but so far, it's only raked in millions—not billions. 😬 At the opening of the summit, speakers expressed their frustration and concern over the funding gap.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres didn't mince words in his video message on Sunday night. He chastised delegates, saying the world is off track for meeting the 2030 goals. \"We need significant new investments,\" he urged. \"The time for action is now!\" 📢🌐
Brazil's top negotiator, André Corrêa do Lago, echoed these sentiments. He warned that without proper funding, the framework's goals might slip out of reach. \"We need to fill that gap in a way that doesn't put developing countries further into debt,\" he said. 🤝🇧🇷
Developed countries had agreed to provide developing nations with $20 billion annually by 2025, up from $15.4 billion in 2022, according to the latest figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. But that's still a long way from the $200 billion needed annually! 😱
Beyond finance, Muhamad highlighted other crucial agenda items for COP16, including taking stock of nations' biodiversity pledges, ramping up inclusion of Indigenous peoples in conservation decisions, and agreeing on ways for countries to share genetic material fairly. 🌿👥
This summit is more than just talk—it's about securing a future where nature thrives and we do too. So, will the world step up and pay up? Stay tuned! 👀
Cover Image: Colombian Environment Minister and COP16 President Susana Muhamad speaks during the opening ceremony of the COP16 summit in Cali, Colombia, October 21, 2024. 📸/CFP
Reference(s):
Leaders urge world to pay up to save nature as COP16 talks open
cgtn.com
