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Cali (Colombia) will host the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) summit from October 21 to November 1, 2024
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COP16 marks the first opportunity to track progress on the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022 during Montreal's COP15
This coming October all eyes will be on Cali, the Colombian city designated to host the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The world’s foremost meeting dedicated to biodiversity will gather representatives from over 190 countries around the globe and be held from October 21 to November 1, 2024.
Two years ago, in December 2022, Montreal (Canada) held COP15, where a global framework for biodiversity was adopted. This ambitious plan to halt and reverse global biodiversity loss includes 23 action-oriented global targets that the world must achieve by 2030. Two years later, building on the momentum and commitments made at COP15, COP16 marks the first opportunity to track progress on the framework since its adoption, including the strategies and plans each country has to contribute.
Therefore, COP 16 represents a decisive moment, a chance to further the dialogue started at COP 15, accelerate action, and show progress towards turning the Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework—also known as the Biodiversity Plan—into action. As such, at COP16, world leaders, policymakers, scientists, and advocates, among other parties, will gather to evaluate progress, share knowledge, and ensure that biodiversity
conservation is at the heart of global strategies (the provisional agenda is available here). This conference is crucial not only for the specific commitments it will generate but also for the collaborative spirit it embodies—a recognition that protecting our planet requires unprecedented cooperation across borders, sectors, and communities.
The link between infrastructure and biodiversity, and the role of Multilateral Development Banks
As we stand on the threshold of COP16, the world is reminded of the urgent call issued at COP15—a summit that underscored the critical need to balance human development with preserving our planet’s biodiversity. At the heart of this mission lies the infrastructure that shapes our cities, connects our communities, and drives our economies. Even though infrastructure is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss, it can also play an instrumental role, not only in reducing environmental impact, but also in conserving, enhancing, and restoring natural ecosystems. Intending to demonstrate this potential, the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) introduced a new Integrated Program in its latest round of replenishment (GEF-8), focused on promoting green transportation.
While their potential has yet to be fully exploited, alternative approaches to traditional infrastructure, like nature-positive infrastructure and nature-based solutions, show how infrastructure can integrate environmental considerations into infrastructure projects and do its part in this complex global endeavor. As such, infrastructure is a powerful tool to create a sustainable future where social, economic, and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.
Multilateral development banks (MDBs) play a pivotal role in this journey. MDBs are uniquely positioned to drive the integration of biodiversity and environmental conservation into infrastructure projects. MDBs are essential partners in this effort, working with governments, private sector actors, and civil society to design and fund projects that beyond being economically viable, deliver net-zero and nature-positive outcomes. Being aware of their determinant role, in December 2023, MDBs adopted common principles to track nature-positive finance, thus making it easier for MDBs to quantify the volume of finance going to nature-positive activities. These principles also aim to track the support MDBs provide to clients in accordance with the commitments made under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in COP15.
Sinfranova's commitment to environmental conservation and biodiversity
In our efforts to contribute to boosting the creation of more sustainable, resilient, environmentally responsible, and socially inclusive infrastructure, Sinfranova team members recently facilitated a masterclass targeting experts in environmental conservation. The 3-hour masterclass focused on the potential of infrastructure projects to protect biodiversity and conserve nature. More information about this capacity-building module can be found here.
Beyond providing capacity building and technical assistance on this topic, Sinfranova is part of the Infrastructure and Nature Coalition Coalition, a group of 25 international public and private organizations collaborating to rethink infrastructure while restoring biodiversity and creating a sustainable future.
GALLERY
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