Politicians not ambitious enough to save nature, say scientists

Scientists say there was an alarming lack of progress in saving nature because the UN biodiversity summit, COP 16, attracts to a detailed.

The scale of political ambition has not risen to the problem of decreasing the destruction of nature that prices the financial system billions, mentioned one main professional.

Representatives of 196 nations have been assembly in Cali, Colombia, to agree on how to halt nature decline by 2030.

The biodiversity summit is separate from the extra well-known COP local weather summit, which is about to happen in Baku later this month.

Countries had been meant to come to the desk with an in depth plan on how they meant to meet biodiversity targets at residence, however most missed the deadline.

However, plans had been agreed to elevate cash for conservation by means of making firms pay for utilizing genetic assets from nature.

The summit comes as a million species face extinction and nature is declining at charges unprecedented in human historical past.

We are caught in a “vicious cycle where economic woes reduce political focus on the environment” whereas the destruction of nature prices the financial system billions, mentioned Tom Oliver, professor of biodiversity on the University of Reading.

“Until we have world leaders with the wisdom and courage to put nature as a top political priority then nature-related risks will continue to escalate,” he told BBC News.

The UN biodiversity summit, COP 16, was the first chance to take stock of progress towards a landmark deal to restore nature agreed in 2022.

However, scientists lamented the pace of progress. Nathalie Seddon, professor of biodiversity at the University of Oxford, said while some meaningful progress was made, the overarching picture was “undoubtedly deeply regarding”.

“Biodiversity nonetheless takes a again seat to local weather motion – although the science speaks strongly to the necessity for absolutely coordinated approaches,” she said.

• An agreement was reached that companies profiting from nature’s genetic data should pay towards its protection through a global fund
• The fund, to be known as the Cali fund after the COP16 host city, will be financed with payments from companies who make use of genetic information from living things
• The role of Indigenous Peoples as vital stewards of nature was officially recognised through the setting up of a permanent body to represent their interests

The next biodiversity summit will take place in 2026, with time running out for solutions. Astrid Schomaker, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, said through such gatherings governments, NGOs and scientists could share knowledge and resources.

“This collective spirit is important as we work to develop and implement efficient insurance policies to confront the complicated and interconnected crises going through our planet’s ecosystems,” she said.

Commenting on the talks, the renowned scientist, Dr Jane Goodall, said our future is “finally doomed” if we don’t address biodiversity loss.

She told BBC News: “We have to take motion too. We cannot solely blame the federal government and large companies, though an enormous a part of the blame lies on them.”

Additional reporting by Victoria Gill.