Global Biodiversity Summit Faces Major Setback As 80% of Participating Countries Failed Submission of Plans

As the COP16 summit approaches in Cali, Colombia, a new analysis reveals that over 80% of countries have failed to submit plans to meet a UN agreement aimed at halting ecosystem destruction, The Guardian reported yesterday.

Nearly two years after the landmark deal struck in Montreal, only 25 out of 195 countries have presented their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The agreement includes ambitious targets to protect 30% of land and sea by the decade’s end and reform harmful subsidies.

With global wildlife populations declining by an average of 73% in the past 50 years, the stakes are high. Notably, only five of the 17 megadiverse countries have submitted plans, and many nations, including Colombia, have missed the deadline. UN biodiversity chief Astrid Schomaker expressed hope that more plans will emerge during the summit. Experts warn that urgent action is needed to turn commitments into tangible results for the planet’s future.