This is an abbreviated version of a longer piece originally published on the Nature-based Solutions Initiative (NbSI) website and reproduced here with permission. It was written by Prof Nathalie Seddon (Oxford Net Zero Co-Investigator), Dr Cécile Girardin, Emma O’Donnell and Audrey Wagner.
What just happened in Cali? Quite a lot. The COP16 agenda was enormous. The Oxford team worked around the clock to cover the core negotiations, as well as important discussions from civil society taking place in the green zone. Here, we reflect on some of the takeaways on the main agenda items, and as well as on the key issues we tracked over the past two weeks.
Billed as the “People’s COP” where we would make “peace with nature,” this COP was also intended to be the one where resources for implementation and methods for tracking progress on goals would be finalised. While the conference, with delegates from 196 nations, delivered on the first front (people), it failed on the second (finance), leaving many disappointed and frustrated. Only limited new funding was announced (taking the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund to just $396 million, far short of the billions required), and no consensus was reached on a mechanism to mobilise resources. Disagreements over whether to create a new fund or continue using the Global Environment Facility (GEF) caused delays. A new proposal supporting a dedicated fund surfaced very early on Saturday morning—yet without a majority of Parties to approve it. This has led some to question the process, the political will, or both.
The Peoples’ COP
The room was filled with jubilation as parties reached an agreement to establish a new subsidiary body—an essential UN organisational structure—to facilitate the “full and effective participation” of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). This decision marks a genuine breakthrough in recognising the vital, practical, and transformative roles that many Indigenous Peoples and local communities play in protecting and restoring biodiversity, and, by extension, supporting the health of the biosphere. This milestone includes the adoption of a comprehensive work programme under Article 8(j) to guide IPLC participation through to 2030, focused on principles like biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and a human-rights-based approach. Importantly, it also aims to enable direct access to funding for biodiversity initiatives by IPLCs, further empowering them as active stewards of nature. Also critically important was the recognition of the contributions of people of African descent, particularly those who embody traditional lifestyles, in conserving biodiversity and implementing the CBD.
In addition, the parties agreed to create the Cali Fund, a measure aimed at ensuring the equitable sharing of benefits derived from genetic data. Pharmaceutical, cosmetics, agribusiness, nutraceutical, and technology conglomerates that profit from genetic resources are expected to contribute either 1% of their profits or 0.1% of their revenue to this fund. However, concerns remain around the use of the word “should” in the decision text, which suggests these contributions may be voluntary rather than mandatory. The final text on Digital Sequencing Information, DSI, that was adopted specifies that “at least half of the funding of the global fund should support the self-identified needs” of IPLCs, “where appropriate and subject to national circumstances.”
Another positive development is the inclusion of the IPBES Values Assessment within the CBD framework. This assessment encourages governments to integrate diverse methods of valuing nature into their decision-making processes. While the decision text fell short of calling for direct institutional reforms, this step is a critical move toward broadening the appreciation of nature within policy contexts.
Holistic approaches
We were pleased to see COP16 showing clear signs of a more holistic approach, with a focus on aligning climate, biodiversity, and health agendas. In particular, building on the COP28 joint statement from the UNFCCC and CBD presidencies and creation of the Rio Trio, parties demonstrated strong international support for alignment between climate and biodiversity policy, which was reflected in the decision text for agenda items 11, 13, and 25. Progress was made toward establishing a joint work programme to institutionalise these synergies, or more specifically the text requests “the Executive Secretary to invite Parties, observers and other stakeholders, to submit by May 2025 their views on options for enhanced policy coherence, including a potential joint work programme of the Rio conventions”. The text also highlighted the importance of ecological integrity and of nature-based solutions as a way of bridging the climate and biodiversity agendas, so long as they support biodiversity and local communities.
Continue reading on the NbSI website.
Photo by Eutah Mizushima on Unsplash.
