Conversations from Cali: A week at COP16

The symbol of COP16 is inspired by the rare Colombian flower – Inírida. Whilst this flower may be almost everlasting, the state of the world’s biodiversity is diminishing at an alarming rate.

That is why delegates from nearly 200 countries – but notably not the United States – are having the bi-annual gathering to progress crucial international decisions over how to restore and protect the world’s biodiversity.

The city itself also represents the intertwining of nature and people, with buildings nestled into the surrounding hills and lush vegetation living alongside over 2 million people.

As we enter the final phases of this COP, the progress against three key areas is still undecided and raising concerns:

• Translating the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into resolute national actions. In Cali, certain Parties have submitted their new national biodiversity strategies and action plans. As of 30th Oct though, only 38 full strategies have been submitted, with 117 parties instead submitting national targets.
• Make progress on closing biodiversity finance gap. COP16 aims to be an ‘implementation’ COP, but there is still a lack of agreement on who should pay and how much. Recent commitments to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund total $163 million from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, the UK, and Quebec. But negotiations on financial mechanisms and resource mobilization are progressing slowly, with differing views on the amount of funds to contribute and where the fund should be hosted.
• Accelerate progress on access and benefit-sharing. Progress is expected to be made on how to ensure that the way in which genetic resources are accessed and used maximizes the benefits for users, providers, and the ecology and communities where they are found. However, negotiations regarding contributions to a new fund are complex, with several options still being debated for structuring the financial mechanisms.

It’s inspiring to see a significant number of delegates representing indigenous communities around the Blue Zone. However, it remains an ongoing challenge to truly include those working on the ground to protect nature in international decision-making. And indigenous groups and environmental defenders remain at high risk of threats and violence across the world.

The city of Cali has integrated community, nature and life – embodied in the vibrant Green Zone. This open access area in the heart of the city features multiple music stages showcasing traditional and modern Colombian music, along with local producers and international presence. This was a refreshing change from the often stale and business-centric green zones typically seen at such conferences.

There is a growing sense within the broader community at COP16 of the urgency to address the interconnected challenges of nature and climate. This reflects a collective effort to find ways to integrate these two critical areas. However, strengthening formal collaborations and connections between various biodiversity and climate conventions remains a work in progress.

This is where Chatham House have been engaging in dialogues around the potential role of the bioeconomy to boost joint climate and nature action. The bioeconomy holds significant potential—but only if we approach it responsibly. Building successful bioeconomies that are fair and sustainable requires a united effort, bringing together investment, policy, innovation, and communities. Here at Cali, we have been engaging in events and discussions including with organizations such as the Global Environment Fund, BTG Pactual, Novonesis, Atlantic Council, CPI, Itausa, NatureFinance, and the Ministry of Finance of Brazil to find ways to enhance strategic collaboration to deliver positive bioeconomy outcomes.

The next CBD COP will be in 2026, set against a likely changing background of greater climate impacts and risks to nature. Collaboration on national and regional bioeconomies is more difficult in an increasingly fragmented geopolitical environment. But there are opportunities to make progress, such as at the G20 – which agreed the High-level Principles on the Bioeconomy in 2024 – as well as at the COP30 climate summit, where host Brazil is uniquely placed to shape these discussions.