Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
CALI, COLOMBIA – Today marked the conclusion of the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference, commonly known as COP16. The 2024 meeting was the first gathering of a biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022.
This year’s meeting set out to review the implementation of the framework and the alignment of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with it.
The framework included a pledge to protect 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030, along with increased funding for global biodiversity efforts, but significant agreements have not yet been reached on securing that funding. Notably, all UN Member States except for the United States have ratified the international Convention on Biodiversity.
In response, Dan Ritzman, director of Sierra Club’s conservation campaign, released the following statement:
“The science is clear – we are in the midst of a global mass extinction crisis. We have seen the loss of nearly 70 percent of global wildlife populations over the last 50 years. The climate crisis and unchecked development of critical habitat present an existential threat to countless species around the world. This moment requires us to act urgently and boldly.
“The United States must be a leader when it comes to taking on the extinction crisis. We can provide that leadership by ratifying the international Convention on Biological Diversity and achieving the scientifically recommended goal of protecting 30 percent of all our lands and waters by 2030.
“This is a global crisis, and it requires global action. The United States and other countries must do their part to support global biodiversity protection efforts. Together, we can preserve wildlife populations and safeguard a liveable planet for the next generation.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.