Saudi Arabia’s COP16 Presidency concluded with over $12 billion secured for land restoration and drought resilience initiatives, launching the Riyadh Action Agenda and the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership to mobilize international action against desertification and drought. The conference saw significant pledges and collaborations, marking a critical step towards a more sustainable future.
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh will feature a groundbreaking Green Zone, including a Business for Land Forum, aiming to attract private sector investment and address the pressing issue of land degradation. The event will focus on sustainable land practices, innovative financing, and improved governance, ultimately seeking to reverse the $7 trillion annually invested in environmentally damaging activities.
The 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, concluded with a disappointing outcome, leaving many countries frustrated and the future of global biodiversity efforts uncertain. Despite some breakthroughs, like a global levy on companies profiting from genetic data and a permanent body for Indigenous peoples, negotiations collapsed over funding and implementation strategies. The summit’s failure to reach a consensus on how to raise the necessary funds and monitor progress towards the ambitious goals set in Montreal in 2022 casts a shadow over the future of nature conservation.
WWF-Canada has launched ‘Mission Restoration’ at COP16, a collaborative initiative aimed at uniting organizations in restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems in Canada by 2030. The initiative aims to track progress, share knowledge, inspire investments, and raise awareness about the benefits of restoration for biodiversity, climate change, and communities.
The State Grid Corporation of China’s ‘Green Electricity Ark’ project, which focuses on rare species protection and fostering harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, was showcased at the COP16 biodiversity conference in Cali, Colombia. The project, implemented in 13 ecological protection zones across China, leverages green power supply systems, digital monitoring, and community engagement to create a new model of intelligent conservation.
Ahead of the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, BRICS leaders have issued a joint statement urging increased financial support and partnerships to address land degradation, desertification, and drought. The statement highlights the pressing need for global action to protect the environment and prevent further degradation, which affects over 40% of the planet and impacts billions of lives. Saudi Arabia, the host of the UNCCD COP16, welcomes this support as it prepares to lead the global effort to tackle these critical environmental challenges.
The upcoming UN biodiversity conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, will see global attention focused on the EU’s commitment to protecting nature. As countries grapple with meeting the ’30×30′ target of protecting 30% of the world’s land and water by 2030, the EU faces pressure to deliver on its promises and lead by example.
A Colombian guerilla group, the Central General Staff (EMC), has threatened to disrupt the upcoming COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia. The EMC, a dissident faction of the disbanded FARC, issued a statement urging international delegates to boycott the event, citing the Colombian government’s military offensive against them. The Colombian government has deployed increased security measures in Cali to ensure the safety of participants.
Saudi Arabia has urged global policymakers to prioritize tackling land degradation, drought, and desertification ahead of the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh this December. The upcoming conference aims to be a turning point in global efforts to restore degraded land and build resilience against drought, with a focus on achieving the Land Degradation Neutrality targets by 2030.
