COP16: Biodiversity Unites Latin America and the Caribbean

COP16 on biodiversity, a global summit held every two years to set agendas, commitments, and action frameworks for conserving and sustainably using biological diversity, will be held this year in Cali, Colombia, from October 21 to November 1.

Under the theme "Peace with Nature," COP16 will review the progress of the commitments made by countries in 2022 and call for reflection on how to improve our relationship with the environment and rethink an economic model that does not prioritize extraction, overexploitation, and pollution.

In this context, the perspective of Latin America and the Caribbean is essential, both for the socio-economic and environmental future of the region and the sustainability of the planet. CAF, the development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, will have a Pavilion open to all countries in the region at COP16, with the theme #BiodiversityUnitesUs. This space will host dialogue and showcase innovative initiatives in ecosystems like mangroves, the Amazon, the Caribbean, the Chocó, Patagonia, and the Galápagos. It will also include areas for engagement with civil society and social actors in Cali.

Now is the time for Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen their narrative and role as a region of solutions. This requires coordinated efforts and unity that must rise above differences. We are one of the planet's richest regions in biological diversity, home to 40% of global biodiversity. Six regional countries (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela) are among the world's seventeen "megadiverse" countries. Biodiversity is thus a factor for regional integration and global positioning that must be promoted.

"In Latin America and the Caribbean, indigenous communities safeguard 80% of the world's biodiversity, and 36% of the remaining intact forests are in their territories. The region has 6 of the world's most megadiverse countries, 11 of the Earth's 14 biomes, and the most biodiverse habitat on the planet, the Amazon rainforest. These facts highlight the need for new leadership to address biodiversity loss, considering the people and communities whose survival depends on it and who hold the knowledge necessary to protect and restore it," says Alicia Montalvo, CAF's Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity.

CAF at COP16

With the Latin America and Caribbean Pavilion, CAF will bring the region’s voice to COP16 to highlight its leading role in the preservation of global biodiversity.

CAF aims to generate debates around the value of strategic ecosystems, the importance of advancing the blue economy, the role of youth, the need to implement innovative financing systems (such as green bonds and debt-for-nature swaps), and the key role of communities and territories on the front lines of biodiversity preservation.

CAF will address biodiversity loss and the use of financial resources with a fresh perspective that places communities, who have direct relationships with the natural environment, at the heart of decision-making. These communities are best positioned to design actions that lead to ecosystem regeneration in ways that align with social and environmental contexts.

To achieve this, CAF has identified 15 priority strategic ecosystems in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Amazon, the Caribbean, the Mesoamerican Dry Corridor, the Cerrado, Patagonia, and the páramos. CAF is developing initiatives to address gaps and offer nature-based, engineering, and governance solutions.

At the Climate Change COP in Dubai, CAF presented this approach, emphasizing the region’s role as a source of solutions. Conserving ecosystems will not only help tackle climate change by absorbing massive CO2 emissions but also address food security issues through regenerative agriculture.

Through the ecosystem-based approach, CAF aims to demonstrate that ecosystems are key to regional integration, as the challenges they face transcend borders and their connectivity is essential for maintaining environmental balance.