UK (University of Cambridge) Cambridge conservation and sustainable business leaders prepare for COP16

As the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) approaches, CCI and the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) co-hosted a panel discussion yesterday featuring key industry leaders.

The event focused on the critical next steps in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), a landmark agreement reached at COP15 aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 and restoring ecosystems by 2050. 

The panel delved into the real-world challenges and opportunities of translating KMGBF commitments into actionable steps to achieve the 23 agreed targets. Lindsay Hooper, Interim CEO of CISL, moderated the panel, which included Melissa Leach, Executive Director of CCI; Victoria Legget, Head of Impact Investing at (Union Bancaire Privée (UBP); Matt Jones, Chief Impact Officer at the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC); and Fiona Dobson, Senior International Policy Officer at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). 

As a collaborative partnership between ten of the world’s leading biodiversity conservation organisations and the University of Cambridge, CCI has identified five emerging themes shared by these organisations, which are expected to shape discussions and guide efforts to meet the KMGBF targets. 

These themes include: 

  • The Role of Evidence and Action:  As of recent updates, only one-third of countries have put forward their national targets. Linking action and evidence is crucial for monitoring impacts and investments to deliver on National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
  • Nature Finance: Addressing the significant funding gap for nature and biodiversity is a key focus. Success involves establishing global funding mechanisms accessible to countries and groups in the Global South, engaging the private sector responsibly, incorporating governance principles for equity and inclusion, and learning from past challenges in climate finance.
  • Climate-Nature Synergies: Recognising the systemic intersections between climate change and nature, the panel highlighted the need for systems-based approaches that acknowledge our interconnectedness.
  • Equity, Justice, and Inclusion: Evidence shows that effective biodiversity conservation requires the involvement of affected communities, including local and Indigenous peoples, in co-design, decision-making, and benefit-sharing. COP16 presents a significant opportunity to advance these goals, especially with the Colombian president emphasising the concept of ‘peace with nature’. This conference will help in integrating Target 22, which ensures indigenous peoples participation in decision-making and access to justice and information related to biodiversity.
  • Stories of Hope: Sharing inspiring stories will serve as a powerful motivator at COP16, fostering lasting action and commitment while encouraging mutual learning among participants. Such stories can be seen throughout the CCI partnership, including in CCI’s Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme, which is restoring and establishing resilient, self-sustaining ecosystems that benefit both nature and people, as well as in CCI partner, BirdLife’s ‘Messages of Hope. 

COP16 will bring together government delegates, local communities and indigenous peoples, international organizations, businesses, researchers, academics, and more to discuss 31 agenda items. Melissa Leach, Executive Director of CCI, highlighted the importance of dialogue amongst them, stating “multiple actors will bring quite different backgrounds, interests, assumptions, terminologies and languages to COP16; establishing understanding and dialogue amongst them will be crucial if bigger, shared goals around a thriving future for nature and people are to be met”.  

CCI’s Isabelle Soskice, Head of Fundraising, and Melissa Leach will attend the event in Cali, Colombia, from October 21 to November 1, along with many CCI partners. CCI’s aim is to amplify partners’ messages while leveraging these themes to strengthen our collaboration  and work together more effectively towards a sustainable future for nature and people, as guided by the decisions made at CBD COP16.