In Cali, Colombia, representatives at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference reached a historic agreement on Saturday after two weeks of intense discussions. The decision to create a dedicated body that includes Indigenous communities in conservation decisions marks a significant step towards recognizing Indigenous people’s critical role in safeguarding ecosystems and tackling climate change.
The landmark agreement not only strengthens Indigenous voices in global biodiversity policy but also mandates that major corporations share financial benefits from their use of natural genetic resources, a move aimed at promoting equitable distribution of biodiversity-derived profits.
Indigenous Participation: A Breakthrough in Conservation Policy
The new body, hailed as a victory by Indigenous representatives, will work under the guidance of two co-chairs: one nominated by UN party groups and the other by Indigenous and local communities. This structure ensures Indigenous perspectives in decision-making, a long-advocated need as these communities possess invaluable traditional knowledge on protecting biodiversity and natural habitats.
Sushil Raj, Executive Director of Rights and Communities at the Wildlife Conservation Society, praised the decision, stating, “This move acknowledges and protects Indigenous and local communities’ traditional knowledge systems, which are vital for both global and national biodiversity management.” This milestone aims to fortify inclusive representation and promote collaborative decision-making in biodiversity policies.
Corporate Responsibility: A New Framework for Benefit Sharing
Another notable outcome of the COP16 conference in Cali was the consensus on benefit-sharing for corporations that utilize genetic resources. This agreement, reached after extensive negotiations, obliges large biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to allocate a portion of profits derived from animal, plant, or microbial resources toward conservation efforts. Delegates settled on a 0.1% genetic information fee, directly channeling revenue from companies back into the protection of natural ecosystems.
Tøerres Jaeger, Executive Director of the Rainforest Foundation Norway, highlighted the significance of this benefit-sharing mechanism: “Many of the life-saving drugs we use today have origins in rainforests. It’s only right that revenue from such resources supports nature conservation.” This measure underscores a major theme of COP16 — recognizing nature’s value in corporate profit cycles and securing financial contributions from those who benefit.
COP16’s Legacy: Recognizing the Role of Afro-descendant Communities
The Cali summit introduced a measure recognizing the role of Afro-descendant communities in ecosystem preservation, further strengthening the focus on inclusivity in biodiversity protection. COP16’s legacy builds on the ambitious Montreal Agreement of 2022, where countries committed to conserving 30% of global land and degraded ecosystems by 2030, aiming to preserve diverse plant and animal life.
Colombia’s Environment Minister and COP16 President, Susana Muhamad, celebrated this move, stating, “With this decision, the value of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local community knowledge has been acknowledged, repaying a 26-year-old historic debt within the Convention on Biological Diversity.” Muhamad shared this message via social media platform X, emphasizing the growing global support for integrating diverse voices in conservation.
Addressing Genetic Resource Ownership: The Controversial DSI Debate
Ownership of nature’s DNA emerged as one of the summit’s most contentious topics, with heated debates surrounding Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic resources. Developing and wealthier nations have long been divided on DSI use, especially as biotechnology advances. However, delegates reached a consensus on Saturday morning to impose a profit-sharing requirement for companies utilizing such resources, ensuring developing nations receive a portion of these benefits.
Funding Challenges in Tackling Global Biodiversity Loss
Despite the groundbreaking agreements, COP16 underscored the funding shortfall for tackling biodiversity decline. With only around $400 million allocated, the commitments fall far short of the billions needed to counteract dwindling biodiversity. This concern grows as COP29, slated for Azerbaijan, approaches with a focus on transitioning to clean energy and securing trillions of dollars for solar, wind, and geothermal infrastructure. Securing significant commitments from nations, corporations, and philanthropists will be essential to meet global sustainability targets.
The conference outcomes build on prior commitments made at the Montreal Biodiversity Summit, where wealthy nations pledged to mobilize $20 billion annually in conservation financing for developing nations by 2025, with a goal of increasing this to $30 billion by 2030. This promise reflects the ongoing struggle to raise funds necessary to address the steep biodiversity loss documented in the World Wildlife Fund and Zoological Society of London’s 2022 Living Planet Report, which reported a staggering 73% average decline in global wildlife populations over the past 50 years.
The UN biodiversity conference in Cali has set the stage for more inclusive and equitable conservation efforts, marking a shift towards sustainable practices that recognize the essential role of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. As COP29 approaches, the world will be watching to see how these commitments shape the future of environmental protection and climate resilience.