At the U.N. COP16 biodiversity summit, a coalition of 21 nations launched the “Peace with Nature” initiative, urging unified global action to protect ecosystems and reverse biodiversity loss. Emphasizing shared responsibility and sustainable practices, the coalition has received broad support from environmental experts, aiming to drive ambitious policies.
Photo: La Via Campesina
Colombia, joined by 20 other nations, launched the “Peace with Nature” coalition at the U.N. COP16 biodiversity summit, aiming to address the global environmental crisis. Colombian President Gustavo Petro highlighted the coalition’s mission to combat ecosystem destruction, warning of severe consequences, including humanity’s potential extinction, if degradation continues unchecked.
Central to the coalition’s goals are commitments to biodiversity preservation, deforestation reversal, endangered species protection, and sustainable development practices. Petro emphasized that this coalition marks a new era of cooperation, urging both developed and developing nations to take responsibility. The coalition includes countries like Mexico, Sweden, Uganda and Chile.
In his address at the conference, Petro called for the urgent decarbonization of the economy. On his X account, he further emphasized his stance, stating, “Those who believe that a free market alone can control the causes of planetary extinction are deluded.”
Representatives from coalition countries reinforced the need for shared responsibility, pledging to create protected areas, restore degraded lands, and tighten regulations on pollutants. Coalition leaders also called for financial and technological support from wealthier nations to assist developing countries in combating deforestation and water scarcity.
However, scientists at the nature summit in Cali said that the political pace was not matching the scale of the challenge. Nathalie Seddon, professor of biodiversity at University of Oxford, said much more was needed by the end of the decade.