On 21 October, the UN’s Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16/Biodiversity) begins. It brings together Member States and stakeholders from across the globe to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, and enable people to live in harmony with nature, within the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The piece below explores the importance of this work, how UN pooled funding can help drive action, and what some of those funds are already working on.  

Life on Earth is variable, teeming with connected natural ecosystems. The biodiversity and health of these systems provide humans with essentials for survival, as well as stability and resilience needed to manage environmental changes. The degradation of ecosystems, however, has been rapidly on the rise in recent decades. It directly affects biodiversity, leading to planet-wide aftershocks that affect every living species.

Biodiversity loss intensifies negative climate change outcomes like the uncontrollable release of carbon stores from the destruction of forests and wetland areas, extinction of other species, destruction of coral reefs, flooding, heat waves and desertification. Given how connected life is on Earth, threats to biodiversity also endanger human health and progress. Consequences are playing out in real time with effects that block Global Goal progress. They affect people who live in flood and heatwave zones, and who struggle to access nutritious food and clean water. They also exacerbate poverty and inequality in indigenous and local communities, people who rely heavily on natural resources from forested, biodiversity-rich, or ocean areas.

This week, Colombia hosts the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16). A landmark event, COP16 is about establishing a collective accord with nature, with participants from around the world advancing approaches that ramp up global biodiversity preservation efforts, improve climate resilience, and strengthen food security and ecosystems protection mechanisms. The objective is to support conservation and restoration efforts that protect biodiversity and natural ecosystems, help mitigate climate change and improve food security, social equity, and community resilience.

Connecting pooled financing and biodiversity protection

The UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office manages a portfolio of pooled funds, a growing number of which address biodiversity loss and ecosystems protection at the intersection of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Designed to deliver measurable and meaningful outcomes, these financing mechanisms support high levels of accountability and transparency. By bringing together diverse stakeholders—governments, private sector actors, local leaders, women and youth-led start-ups, community associations, NGOs, and international organizations—pooled funds help accelerate relevant efforts, like those under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office flagship biodiversity initiative emerging from the Framework agreement, the recently established Kunming Biodiversity Fund, will demonstrate how whole-of-society approaches and policy reforms at local, national and international levels of governance have the power to redefine ecosystem services and mainstream biodiversity. .

Another fund is the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, which is working to mobilize $500 million to invest in coral reef ecosystem conservation and improving services in reef-dependent communities. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration combats biodiversity loss and enhances natural resource bases to help people around the world adapt to, and mitigate, climate change. Nature4Health helps stakeholders locally mainstream biodiversity and climate practices through a novel “One Health” approach, at the intersection of humans, animals, and ecosystems issues). The Partnership for Action on Green Economy partners labour to shift existing practices around ecological protection in sustainable ways that foster economic growth, create jobs, and reduce poverty and inequality.

Accelerating progress by strengthening national commitments to pooled funds

Biodiversity protection is integral to achieving all SDGs, with a special relevance to SDG15 (Life on Land), SDG13 (Climate Action), and SDG2 (Zero Hunger) in particular. Without more commitments to pooled financing funding and global cooperation, making gains on the goals will continue to move slowly. The UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office pooled financing approach is an opportunity to accelerate action on the Global Goals and deliver on Kunming-Montreal framework pledges by directing investments to people living in countries and regions most affected by biodiversity loss.

COP16 in Colombia is a crucial moment for the global community to reaffirm its promise to biodiversity and act accordingly. Pooled financing is a powerful tool to support the large-scale biodiversity initiatives needed, and operationalize solutions for related challenges like peacebuilding, inequality, health, and food security.

In aligning biodiversity efforts with broader development goals we can take a collective step toward safeguarding nature and securing a sustainable future for every form of life on our planet.

Additional resources
https://www.cbd.int/conferences/2024
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/2024s-climate-crisis-extreme-weather-around-the-globe/
https://assets.aon.com/-/media/files/aon/reports/2024/climate-and-catastrophe-insights-report.pdf
https://reliefweb.int/report/world/climate-breakdown-2024-6-months-climate-chaos-cop28#:~:text=Primary%20country,Change%20and%20Environment%20Disaster%20types
https://www.atlas-mag.net/en/natural-disasters