COP16: A Success for Colombia and the World
COP16 concludes today in the city of Cali, bringing significant news for Colombia, such as being a pioneer in the creation of a biodiversity bond, which was agreed upon by Davivienda Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), as well as the $75 million that the country will receive to protect its biodiversity, combat deforestation, and advance the implementation of the Action Plan by 2030, among other initiatives.
Lee también
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- Colombia y Palestina firman memorando para fortalecer la cooperación ambiental
Record Attendance at COP16
The Blue Zone hosted 14 heads of state, over 100 environment ministers, 140 delegations, and 18,000 accredited individuals, a figure that surpassed attendance at any previous summit. Furthermore, Mauricio Cabrera Leal, Deputy Minister of Environmental Policies and Normalization at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, noted that it was expected that a total of 150,000 people would attend the Green Zone of COP16, but the actual number reached over 900,000, exceeding all expectations. He stated, “This is the result of the work of all the entities, but especially of the communities”.
Positive Economic Impact for Colombia
According to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, COP16 positively impacted the national economy with a total of 122 billion pesos and created over 5,200 jobs. Thus, hosting the world’s most important biodiversity summit not only had a positive environmental impact for the city of Cali but also benefited the economy.
Additionally, the so-called 'COP of the People' set records with the inclusion of communities and peoples from around the world. On October 31, it was announced that Armenia will host COP17, which will take place in 2026. Colombia and the world now expect the agreements made at COP16 to be fully honored.
La #COP16Colombia es un éxito rotundo: más de 100 ministros de ambiente del mundo trabajando por un futuro sostenible. Desde la Zona Azul hasta la Zona Verde, todos somos parte de la solución para revertir la pérdida de biodiversidad y hacer #PazConLaNaturaleza. ¡Esta es la… pic.twitter.com/EH51cHHH0p
— MinAmbiente Colombia (@MinAmbienteCo) October 31, 2024
