The Executive Council of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund convened a plenary meeting on Thursday during the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, Colombia. At this significant gathering, the council reviewed and approved nine small-scale projects aimed at bolstering global biodiversity efforts.
The approved projects span 15 countries across several regions, including one in Central and Eastern Europe, four in the Asia-Pacific region, two in Africa, and two in Latin America. These initiatives are set to address pressing biodiversity concerns and foster sustainable ecological practices worldwide.
Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu, speaking at COP16, emphasized the fund’s commitment to supporting developing countries in achieving the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). “The fund, of which China was a leading founder, will respond to the needs of developing countries and implement a number of projects to help them realize the objectives of the KMGBF,” he stated. The initial focus will be on major goals such as ecosystem restoration and protection, sustainable use of biodiversity, and the prevention and control of invasive alien species.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) commended the contributions made by China toward global biodiversity conservation. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, remarked on China’s extraordinary efforts in reaching an agreement on the KMGBF, highlighting the positive impact of such collaborations.
In 2021, China pledged 1.5 billion yuan (approximately $210 million) to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, aiming to support biodiversity conservation initiatives in developing countries. The fund was officially launched in May 2024 and has since been instrumental in facilitating international cooperation on environmental sustainability.
COP16, expected to gather over 12,000 participants, is being held in the Colombian city of Cali from October 21 to November 1. The conference will address key issues such as the implementation status of the KMGBF and strategies for mobilizing financial resources to support global biodiversity efforts.
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9 projects supported by Kunming Biodiversity Fund approved at COP16
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