Cristian Román shares unique insights from attending COP16 in Cali, Colombia, exploring the interplay of science, policy, and equity. Highlights include challenges with proprietary biodiversity tools, ethical concerns surrounding AI in policy compliance, and academia’s role in negotiations, raising critical questions about accessibility, collaboration, and power dynamics.
At COP16 in Cali, October 2024, Alejandra Osejo-Varona, PhD Candidate in Anthropology at Rice University, shares insights on how scientists and decision-makers collaborated to address invasive alien species (IAS). The conference presented scientific tools and assessments, such as the IPBES report and IUCN toolkit, to guide the implementation of Target 6 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Women scientists and community leaders are reshaping conservation through citizen science, integrating Indigenous knowledge, and advocating for policy change. At COP16-Columbia, Cindy Julianty and Tanya Majdumar showcased how grassroots initiatives led by women empower local communities, preserve biodiversity, and ensure sustainable conservation efforts. Their stories highlight resilience, innovation, and a call for global action.
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At COP16 in October 2024, Claire Bandet, a master’s student at the University of Pennsylvania, shared insights on biodiversity credit markets. The discussions ranged from defining the term to exploring its risks and potential, with two panels offering opposing views: one advocating for an effective market and the other arguing against it.
Claire Bandet shares insights on the impact of biological field stations in tropical Africa and South America, emphasizing their role in conservation, research, and community development. Discussing how these stations enhance local capacity, foster global collaborations, and contribute to sustainable conservation efforts.
Claire Bandet from UPenn recaps a panel on “animating the carbon cycle” through wildlife conservation. Speakers emphasized the climate impacts of species like wolves and guanacos and urged integrating wildlife into climate policies for enhanced biodiversity and carbon storage
David Baldwin shares insights from a COP16 side event, hosted by the University of Cambridge, that discussed shifting toward a nature-positive economy, prioritizing ecological and social well-being over traditional GDP. Panelists argued for a transformation, not just a transition, integrating Genuine Progress Indicators and indigenous knowledge to reshape economic systems for biodiversity and sustainability.
Ph.D. candidate Zohra Zahir reflects on moderating the panel “Biodiversity Beyond the Classroom: Students’ Perspectives from COP16” in Colombia. Joined by fellow emerging scientists, she shares insights on bridging the gap between academia and policy, advocating for student voices, and making science accessible and actionable to influence global biodiversity policy.
Zohra Zahir, David Baldwin, and Jeannine Cavender-Bares share an early-morning hike up Cali’s Hill of the Three Crosses, detailing the steep climb through lush vegetation and revealing rock formations. At the summit, they enjoy sweeping views, refreshing juices, and a profound connection to Colombia’s rich natural and historical landscape.
Pilar Pedrinelli shares with us that COP16 in Cali, Colombia, achieved significant milestones, notably the creation of the Cali Fund for equitable benefit-sharing from digital sequence information. This fund supports Indigenous communities and highlights their role in biodiversity stewardship. However, challenges remain in funding, geopolitical divides, and implementation of conservation commitments for the future.
At COP16, Astrid Caldas stressed the need for stronger alignment between biodiversity and climate efforts, urging an ecosystem-based approach to conservation. She highlighted the value of indigenous knowledge and called for collaboration between the CBD and UNFCCC to address climate impacts, biodiversity loss, and achieve equitable environmental outcomes.