Cautious Optimism as COP16 Concludes with Key Agreements on Biodiversity Funding and Monitoring

WASHINGTON, D.C.  —  The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity concluded with cautious optimism as nations adopted new measures to track and fund efforts to halt biodiversity loss. Delegates reached a milestone agreement on resource mobilization, outlining financial tools to support the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The following is a statement from Paul Todd, senior attorney, global biodiversity, Nature program at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“The general feeling at the close of the meeting was cautious optimism, at least that the resource mobilization process would lead to results, that multilateralism is being tested but is not dead yet, and that governments, especially those of countries in the Global North that are driving the overconsumption and destruction of life on Earth, may begin to do what is necessary to bend the curve on biodiversity loss before it is too late.”

With 46 countries submitting updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and 124 nations aligning their national targets, momentum for biodiversity action is growing. These commitments lay a crucial foundation, especially as the upcoming climate COP30 presents an opportunity to build on these achievements and drive even greater progress. 

The next biodiversity summit, COP17, will take place in 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, where nations will evaluate progress and determine the next steps in safeguarding the planet’s ecosystems.

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).