COP16 Biodiversity Conference: Everyone should have a voice

By Maximilian Seidel and Kielce Gussie

After the COP16 meeting in Cali, Colombia, last year overran, the conversations were cut short but picked up again this year at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Rome, led by the Colombian Ministry of the Environment.

The issue of biodiversity is one close to Pope Francis’ heart. With his encyclical Laudato si’ and the letter Laudate Deum, he has expressed his commitment to the preservation of creation—not only climate protection but also the conservation of biodiversity.

The way different species interact with each other not only regulates the global CO2 system, but is also essential for the nourishment of humanity. Predators are needed to control pests, and bees are needed to pollinate crops.

These systems are now under threat due to highly industrialized agriculture. The focus of this UN Conference was the struggle over who should pay for the protection of the biosphere.

Everyone should have a voice

In an interview with Vatican News, the State Secretary Jan-Niclas Gesenhues of the German delegation stressed that everyone has to be flexible when it comes to “the global financial infrastructure to take global conservation financing to a new level.”

Environmental activists take part in a flashmob at Circo Massimo as the COP16 Biodiversity Conference resumes in Rome   (AFP or licensors)

He highlighted how crucial it is “that local and indigenous communities have a voice and that they are involved.” Mr. Gesenhues explained that working with partners in the Global South is essential to achieving global conservation.

Who should control the funds?

An agreement regarding financing this worldwide conservation project had already been reached at previous conferences. The international community is to collect at least 200 billion euros every year until 2030 in subsidies for environmentally harmful technologies. The money is to be deposited into funds for indigenous peoples and species protection.

Now, the debate is who should control the funds. Currently, the World Bank is in charge, but the countries in the Global South have criticized the fact that most of the decision-making power lies with Western countries.

Mr. Gesenhues expressed his hope that a compromise will be reached. “I believe the last proposal by the Colombian president, who is leading the negotiations here, is a good proposal—balanced. It certainly brings us a little closer to a consensus.”

Results of Rome conference

On the last day of the conference, governments agreed on a strategy to raise funds for the protection of biodiversity and to accomplish the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

The world's biggest nature conservation conference restarted in Rome   (AFP or licensors)

The agreement includes raising the 200 billion euros every year until 2030 as well as adopting a Strategy for Resource Mobilization that pinpoints a range of instruments, mechanisms, and institutions that could be sources of funds.

Receiving public finance from national and subnational governments, private and philanthropic resources, multilateral development banks, and more, are also part of this plan.

Important decisions regarding the evaluation of projects have already been made. New standards and measurement units should now make it possible to assess how effective projects are, which represents an important task for the next COP.