CBD COP16 to Resume in Rome

February 25, 2025

The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is resuming in Rome, Italy. This critical meeting takes place from February 25 to 27, 2025. Global leaders are under pressure to fulfil their financial and policy commitments to protect biodiversity. The previous session in Cali, Colombia, was interrupted, delaying essential financial decisions. The upcoming session aims to secure funding and develop a system to track biodiversity commitments.

Key Agenda Items

The Rome session will officially launch the Cali Fund.
This fund is designed to ensure fair distribution of financial benefits from digital sequence information (DSI). DSI includes genetic data from various organisms.
The fund will support Indigenous communities and biodiversity conservation.
Additionally, the session will focus on finalising decisions under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This framework aims to halt biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems by 2030.

Financial Goals and Strategies

One major challenge is securing adequate funding for biodiversity efforts. Countries are expected to agree on a strategy to raise $200 billion annually by 2030. This includes increasing Official Development Assistance for biodiversity to at least $20 billion per year by 2025. The goal is to raise this to $30 billion by 2030. Delegates will also discuss establishing a dedicated global biodiversity fund.

Monitoring Progress

A proposed Monitoring Framework will define indicators to track 23 global biodiversity targets. These targets cover habitat protection, pollution control, and sustainable resource use. Governments will work on finalising reporting mechanisms ahead of a global review at COP17 in 2026. The Planning, Monitoring, Reporting, and Review Mechanism will outline stakeholder contributions to biodiversity monitoring.

Existing and New Biodiversity Funds

Delegates will assess existing biodiversity funds, including the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, which has received nearly $400 million in pledges. The newly launched Kunming Biodiversity Fund, supported by China with a $200 million contribution, will also be discussed. Guidance will be provided to the Global Environment Facility for its upcoming funding round.

Inclusion of Communities in Decision-Making

A outcome from COP16 was the recognition of Afro-descendant communities under Article 8(j). This recognition enhances their role in biodiversity decision-making. A special group was created to ensure Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, and Afro-descendant communities have a stronger voice in decisions affecting biodiversity.

Future Implications

The results of the Rome meeting will shape discussions at COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, in 2026. With increasing threats to biodiversity, there are high expectations for governments to make progress in securing funding and enforcing commitments. This session represents a very important moment for aligning policies and resources with global biodiversity goals.

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