COP16, the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, is taking place this week – not to be confused with the World Climate Change Conference (COP29). While COP29 focusses on climate change and its effects, COP16 is all about biodiversity.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which was adopted in 2022, takes centre stage. The aim of the agreement is to protect and conserve ecosystems, biodiversity and genetic resources worldwide. COP16 will now review how the signatory states are implementing their national biodiversity targets. Action and financing plans will also be developed to achieve the targets.

The framework agreement was adopted at the World Conference on Nature in Montreal in 2022.
It comprises four overarching goals that are to be achieved by 2050.
In addition, 23 goals (targets) were defined by 2030.

We have summarised a selection of important goals of the Kunming-Montreal framework in the article image.