Search

Colombia Advocates for Joint Climate and Biodiversity Commitments at COP16

Colombia is pushing for a unified pledge that addresses both climate change and biodiversity protection in upcoming U.N. talks, Colombian Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said in an interview with Reuters on Friday. The country aims to merge efforts to safeguard nature with initiatives to combat climate change.

Colombia Advocates for Joint Climate and Biodiversity Commitments at COP16

Colombia is pushing for a unified pledge that addresses both climate change and biodiversity protection in upcoming U.N. talks, Colombian Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said in an interview with Reuters on Friday. The country aims to merge efforts to safeguard nature with initiatives to combat climate change.

Later this month, Colombia will host the U.N. COP16 biodiversity summit, where Muhamad will serve as the conference president. The summit's goal is to halt the alarming rate of environmental degradation.

Currently, the United Nations operates under three distinct environmental agreements: one each for climate change, biodiversity, and desertification. Negotiations and commitments for each issue are conducted separately, which Muhamad believes is an inefficient process, especially for resource-strapped developing nations.

"We're essentially repeating the same discussions across three conventions, which wastes time and likely hinders potential synergies," Muhamad explained.

These synergies, according to her, include tackling deforestation, which not only devastates biodiversity but also contributes significantly to carbon emissions in many Latin American countries.

Colombia hopes to introduce a unified framework that could be unveiled by COP30, the U.N. climate summit to be hosted by Brazil in 2025.

"We plan to submit an integrated plan covering all three conventions, as they are fundamentally interconnected," Muhamad added.

The idea of merging commitments for the three conventions was first proposed by Panama during a recent gathering of Latin American environment ministers in Rio de Janeiro, with strong backing from two other countries, Muhamad noted, though she did not name them.

Colombia recently announced a $40 billion investment portfolio designed not only to aid its transition away from fossil fuels but also to support environmental conservation efforts.

In addition to these initiatives, Colombia is advocating for human rights to be at the core of environmental strategies. The country will introduce a "Peace with Nature" coalition at COP16, which Muhamad says is essential for building resilience against climate change and fostering peace.

"We believe that caring for nature, reconnecting with it, and working alongside diverse communities for conservation are critical to peacebuilding. This will also make us more adaptable to climate shocks, which can exacerbate conflicts," she said.

(Reporting by Jake Spring in Sao Paulo and Oliver Griffin in Bogota, Edited by Rosalba O'Brien)