Reflections from the United Nations Biodiversity COP16

Video by Aanchal Garg. All video elements were filmed and edited by the author.

Hosted in Cali, Colombia, the birthplace of salsa and Afro-Colombian culture, COP16 was better known as COP de la Gente, as it was the first time a Green Zone had been free and accessible to the public—a true example of environmental education that is diverse, relatable, and accessible to the general public. Dozens of Indigenous peoples and local communities gathered from all over the world, particularly from Latin American and African countries. For them, water is the great connector. Rivers and seas are places of celebration and ritual in these communities, a symbol of birth and regeneration—particularly for women, and a path that brings comfort and nostalgia to all. Delegates felt this presence and wisdom deeply in many aspects of the conference except negotiations, where there was a clear lack of inclusion in decision-making spaces. 

In spite of this, this year the Convention on Biological Diversity was able to approve historic decisions, including a subsidiary body devoted to the inclusion of Indigenous peoples, a formal recognition of the crucial role people of African descent play in biodiversity protection, and equitable financial mobilization for Indigenous communities, women, and youth. However, as the final plenary ran well into the morning and parties were unable to maintain quorum, the divide between the Global North and South left negotiations on global financial mechanisms at a standstill. Along with other unresolved issues, like compensation mechanisms for using genetic information, resource allocation and budget discussions will pick back up at an interim meeting early next year. However, the pacing of it all proves once again that money will only flow to financially back Indigenous and local stewardship of biodiversity when mass political will and genuine systemic change pushes it that way.

To sum things up, conferences and agreements like these serve as a reminder that we, as scientists, are only human. In the COP16 closing statement of the Academic and Research Caucus, global universities came together to rally support for "the essential role that science and education play in helping to identify and fill the most pressing gaps, to achieve the objectives of the Convention and meet the targets and goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework." When world negotiators are still confused on why nature-based solutions don’t interfere with climate mitigation, the direct impact of a lifelong, ecological education remains crystal clear. 

We are strangers to the Earth by design of our socioeconomic systems, and we must choose to partake in designing new ones instead. Today, Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world to be an environmental defender. Because of private sector involvement and corporate control, there is a disillusionment being felt within these UN systems. More people are sounding alarms regarding the lack of progress and time that the Earth has left before reaching irreversible tipping points. Scientists owe it to the environmental defenders who showed up to COP16 and previous negotiations to have an honest and frank conversation about our intentions as allies, and to have the knowledge we gain make its way to the masses. 

Our academic communities exist to observe and progress society, and it remains our sole responsibility in the years ahead. As stated by Sonia Guajajara, the Brazilian Minister of Indigenous Peoples, “we need to fight against the system—and we all have an important role to play." 

Aanchal Garg is a student in the Master of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation program, aiming to highlight the connections between climate education and justice as a science communicator. She welcomes collaborations, and interested parties can connect with Aanchal through LinkedIn.