Scientists say politicians are not ambitious enough to save nature

As the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16), the United Nations’ biodiversity summit, draws to a close, there is an alarming lack of progress in saving nature, scientists say.

The scale of political ambition is not enough to meet the challenge of reducing the destruction of nature, which costs the economy billions of dollars, a leading expert says.

Representatives from 196 countries met in Cali, Colombia to reach an agreement on how to halt the decline of nature by 2030.

The biodiversity summit is separate from the better-known COP climate summit, which is due to be held in Baku later this month.

Countries should come to the negotiating table to develop detailed plans on how to achieve domestic biodiversity targets, But most missed the deadline.

However, the two sides agreed on plans to raise conservation funds by having companies pay for the use of natural genetic resources.

The summit comes at a time when one million species face extinction and natural environments are declining at a rate unprecedented in human history.

Tom Oliver, professor of biodiversity at the University of Reading, said we are stuck in a vicious cycle in which “economic distress reduces political attention to the environment”, while the destruction of nature costs the economy billions of dollars.

He told BBC News: “Unless our world leaders have the wisdom and courage to make nature a top political priority, risks related to nature will continue to escalate.”

The United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP16) is the first opportunity to assess progress towards biodiversity conservation. Milestone Agreement for Restoring Nature Agreement reached in 2022.

However, scientists lament the pace of progress. Natalie Seddon, professor of biodiversity at the University of Oxford, said that while there had been some meaningful progress, the overall situation was “certainly deeply worrying”.

“Biodiversity remains on the back burner for climate action, despite the strong scientific support for the need for a fully coordinated approach,” she said.

• Agreement reached that companies profiting from nature’s genetic data should pay for its protection through the Global Fund
• The Cali fund, named after the COP16 host city, will be financed by companies harnessing biogenetic information
• The role of Aboriginal peoples as important stewards of nature is formally recognized through the establishment of permanent institutions to represent their interests.

The next Biodiversity Summit will be held in 2026, and time is running out to find solutions. Astrid Shoemaker, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, said that through such gatherings, governments, non-governmental organizations and scientists can share knowledge and resources.

“This collective spirit is critical as we work to develop and implement effective policies to address the complex and interconnected crises facing Earth’s ecosystems,” she said.

Commenting on the talks, renowned scientist Dr Jane Goodall said our future was “ultimately doomed” if we did not address biodiversity loss.

She told BBC News: “We have to take action too. We can’t just blame governments and big companies, although a large part of the responsibility lies with them.”

Additional reporting by Victoria Gill.