Luxembourg Represented at COP16 Conference Held in Cali, Colombia

Luxembourg's Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, attended the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (COP16), held in Cali, Colombia, from 21 October to 1 November 2024.

The theme of the conference was "Paz con la naturaleza" (Peace with Nature) and it took place two years after the historic adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

As reported by Luxembourg's Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, while the KMGBF set a series of targets for 2030 at the global level, COP16 marked a key step in preparing for effective implementation at the national level. For the European Union and its Member States, the importance of agreeing on a robust monitoring system was a priority, as was the establishment of a multilateral mechanism for digital sequencing of genetic resources.

Minister Wilmes highlighted Luxembourg's international and solidarity financing efforts, which strengthens synergies between the fight against biodiversity loss, land degradation and climate change and guarantees the implementation of the KMGBF targets. Luxembourg was among the first countries to contribute to the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and to align its national strategy with the KMGBF targets.

The minister participated in several events focusing on initiatives funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity. These included the "7th Investment Case Symposium of the Global Landscapes Forum", which brought together more than 300 people on-site and several thousand stakeholders online, including from the private sector, to mobilise sources of financing for biodiversity; as well as the "Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg" initiative, which contributes to the development of nature-based solutions projects aimed at unlocking private investments.

Minister Wilmes stated: "Even if the result is not what one hoped for, a completely different dynamic was saved at the Biodiversity COP16. This is because two years ago a historic agreement was reached, which set a global framework. We must meet our targets to stop the loss of biodiversity. And every step we take forward is a step in the right direction. We must not give up and must keep working to get there". 

The minister also met with the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Astrid Schomaker, the CEO of the Global Environment Facility, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, and representatives of the Coalition of High Ambition for Nature and People, as well as with youth delegates.