COP16 Begins in Colombia (Al Jazeera) 

Almost 200 countries are gathering in Colombia for a two-week span (October 21 to November 1) for the UN Convention on Biodiversity to further global conservation goals. At COP15, the meeting culminated with an ambitious global treaty—the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022)—that required member states to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The agreement had four goals that set a “30×30“ agenda to protect 30% of global land, earth, and water ecosystems by 2030. 

If COP15 set the agenda for what and when, COP16 is all about the how. Developed countries pledged $20 billion in annual finance to support developing nations with their conservation targets in 2022—a mechanism similar to the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) envisioned by the Climate COP. Yet stark financing shortcomings mean that COP16 discussions will bring renegotiations on finance to the forefront of the conversation. Already, dialogues on biodiversity finance have led multilateral organizations to raise growing concerns about how debt and other overlapping crises (including conflict) may impact reforms in both aid and investment. 

With finance and implementation dominating the agenda at both COP16 and COP29, it is evident that addressing planetary crises will require integrated solutions that incorporate development agendas into conservation goals. Building local/Indigenous knowledge into national conservation programming, for instance, is among the proposed solutions being offered. 

READ | The COP16 Opportunity: Bringing Biodiversity and Climate into Alignment? 

The Big Three Draw Criticism at Commonwealth Meeting (AP News) 

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is an opportunity for many countries, most of whom are former British colonies, to discuss possible pathways to a sustainable future. The most recent gathering was the first meeting of its sort to be held on the Pacific Island of Samoa. As small island nations that are wary about how a rise in sea level will affect their national security, the CHOGM  dialogues this year centered on climate change, and called out nations which are backsliding on their commitments.  

Participating countries referred to a new report published by The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative— Uncommon Wealth: Fossil Fuel Expansion in the Commonwealth Dominated by Three Wealthy Countries. The report demonstrates how the “Big Three” that is Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, are responsible for 60% of emissions led by fossil fuel extraction in the Commonwealth, even though these nations comprise only 6% of its population.   

In addition to growing notice of these unequal distributions in causing climate change, the CHOGM also saw increasing discussion about demands for reparations for slavery. These forms of payments have face significant backlash, with former-colonizing countries insisting that they are not responsible for the wrongdoings of their past. Yet taking action on racial and economic inequality of today is a necessary step in addressing violent and centuries-long exploitation, as well as underscoring links between a lack of means to address climate change with past colonialism. 

LISTEN | The Arc | Climate Justice in the Arctic  

Costa Rica’s Sustainable Tourism at Risk (Mongabay) 

Costa Rica has implemented several bold policies to encourage and build a flourishing tourism industry, including designated protected areas and a reversal of long-existing policies that favored deforestation-led agriculture. Tourism revenue is estimated to triple in the coming decade, with this global and sustainable market reaching $11.4 trillion by 2032.  

Yet scaling up Costa Rica’s tourism industry might be a double-edged sword. As an island nation, an exponential rise in visitors means an increase in the frequency and presence of fossil fuel-based cruise ships which damage the environment in Costa Rican waters. Local communities also have raised concerns about climate change and sea-level rise, and offered critiques of exploitative and wasteful practices that would affect the well-established industry. They believe values of sustainability and conservation should outweigh the number of tourists. 

Experts suggest weaving all the nation’s residents into the tourism industry to help address the issues created by an increasing flow of tourists. For instance, Costa Rica introduced the Payment for Environmental Services (PES) program in 1995, which supported private conservation efforts and was led by local farmers and landowners. Growing concerns about the sustainability of the tourism industry make it crucial to diversify its economic opportunities. 

READ | Signs and Signals: Exploring How a Novel Foresight Approach Gains Prominence