CALI, COLOMBIA—The world’s biggest nature protection conference opened in Colombia Monday with the United Nations chief calling for countries to “convert words into action” and fatten a fund seeking to address biodiversity loss.
On the eve of the official start of the conference, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged “significant investment” in the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) created last year, as well as “commitments to mobilize other sources of public and private finance.”
“Those profiting from nature must contribute to its protection and restoration,” Guterres said in a video played to delegates gathered in the western city of Cali, where authorities were on high alert after threats from a guerrilla group.
The GBFF was created last year to help countries achieve the goals of the so-called Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) adopted in Canada in 2022 with 23 targets to “halt and reverse” the loss of nature by 2030.
So far, countries have made about $250 million in commitments to the fund, according to monitoring agencies.
The fund is part of a broader agreement made in Montreal two years ago for countries to mobilize at least $200 billion per year by 2030 for biodiversity, including $20 billion per year by 2025 from rich nations to help developing ones.
Guterres highlighted that destroying nature increases conflict, hunger and disease, fuels poverty and negatively impacts economic growth.
