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COP16 faces a significant challenge in safeguarding 30% of the world's land and marine areas.

Ahead of the UN biodiversity summit, nations are urged to develop robust new strategies and secure funding to fulfill global nature objectives. The aim to safeguard at least 30% of the world's land and marine ecosystems by 2030 encounters significant hurdles, according to a leading facilitator of UN biodiversity discussions, prior to the COP16 summit commencing next week in Cali, Colombia.

As reported by the UN's biodiversity agency, only 29 out of 196 countries have submitted essential updates to their national biodiversity plans, which should detail approaches to achieve the 2030 conservation target agreed upon in Montreal in 2022. Chirra Achalender Reddy, chair of India's National Biodiversity Authority and head of implementation efforts at the UN biodiversity talks, indicated that countries face an immense challenge to meet the "30×30" goal and must craft strong National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to succeed.

"This is a daunting task, given the 196 parties involved. Each country presents unique circumstances, capabilities, and priorities, making this initiative particularly challenging," Reddy emphasized.

A report from a coalition of nature NGOs and foundations revealed that merely 8.3% of the global ocean is designated as marine protected areas (MPAs), and due to enforcement gaps allowing overfishing and fossil fuel extraction, only about 2.8% of MPAs are effectively protected. The report cautioned that at the current pace, only 9.7% of the ocean will be protected by 2030.

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry and former Costa Rican President José María Figueres urged governments to urgently collaborate to meet the 30×30 target, emphasizing the importance of ocean protection for marine biodiversity and global food security.

At COP15 in December 2022, nations adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), outlining 23 targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, including the 30×30 goal. Countries were tasked with setting national targets and updating their NBSAPs to align with the GBF.

Despite a missed October deadline for many governments to submit their plans, there are expectations for more announcements at COP16. Colombia's vice-minister of environment confirmed that the country will present its updated NBSAP on October 21, coinciding with the summit's start.

While there has been progress in national target submissions, experts stress that having a plan is only the first step towards effective implementation. The funding for biodiversity initiatives remains a significant concern, as developing countries encounter financial obstacles in enhancing their conservation efforts.

At COP15, a biodiversity fund was established to support nature conservation, but it has so far garnered only $200 million and faces challenges in becoming operational. Despite these challenges, the UN's biodiversity agency remains optimistic that the GBF goals can be achieved through decisive action and collaborative efforts by 2030.