New York, September 27, 2024 – Colombia's Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development and incoming president of the COP16 on biodiversity, Susana Muhamad, concluded an intense work agenda in New York, where she participated in key events of the United Nations General Assembly, Climate Week and strategic meetings, with a view to strengthening international commitments towards the COP16 on biodiversity, to be held in Cali from October 21 to November 1, 2024.
“We have just finished this visit, the last diplomatic push for COP16. We have managed to consolidate the progress for the financing of our Colombian Climate and Ecological Transition Portfolio, led by the Ministry of Environment and several entities of the National Government. This portfolio will be launched on October 2-4 in Barranquilla, and we expect to consolidate a major announcement for COP16″, Muhamad said.
One of the most relevant announcements was the presentation of the Portfolio for Colombia's Socio-Ecological Transition, which seeks to mobilize approximately US$160 billion in investments to accelerate decarbonization, the development of renewable energies and the conservation of biodiversity.
Consolidation of the Portfolio for the Socio-Ecological Transition and signing of the instrument of ratification of the Escazú Agreement were some of the major achievements made by Colombia during Minister Muhamad's visit.
The minister's agenda concluded with an important announcement after the meeting of the Three Rio Conventions (climate change, biodiversity and desertification): “We have also worked on the three Rio conventions entering together in a synergistic work, precisely so that we can be more effective in implementation.” It is worth noting that 2024 is an unprecedented year for the global environmental agenda, since for the first time, the three United Nations COPs will coincide in the same year, with Colombia leading the COP16 on biodiversity.
Another important achievement was the signing of the instrument of ratification of the Escazu Agreement, which positions Colombia as the 17th State Party to this international treaty, reaffirming its commitment to the defense of environmental rights and environmental leaders in the country.
In another of the highlights of his work trip, during his speech at Climate Week, Muhamad highlighted the urgency of addressing the climate crisis and stressed that compliance with the Kunming Montreal Global Framework on biodiversity could contribute 30% to the global goal of keeping the temperature increase below 2°C.
The minister also presented the 'Peace with Nature Coalition' and reiterated Colombia's commitment to promote a sustainable relationship with the environment, strengthening her role as future president of COP16.
Colombia positions its voice on the international agenda prior to COP16
One of the most significant moments of the visit was the event 'Biodiversity and Peace: Colombia's Commitments at COP16', co-led with Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo. During this space, the Peace with Nature Coalition initiative was presented, which will be officially launched at COP16. This initiative seeks to rethink the relationship between humanity and nature, addressing peace and biodiversity as essential pillars for global survival.
In its participation in panels such as the Fossil Fuels Non-Proliferation Treaty, Muhamad reiterated the need for a multilateral agreement to reform the financial system and accelerate the energy transition. In addition, at the World Economic Forum, he warned about the risks of perpetuating an extractive economy that ignores the social and environmental consequences of natural resource exploitation.
At the high-level meeting of megadiverse countries, led by Colombia and Brazil, joint strategies were established for COP16, with the participation of Peru, Mexico, Guatemala and Madagascar, among other countries. This effort seeks to coordinate a solid position to promote biodiversity conservation at a global level.
Muhamad also held bilateral meetings with key representatives, such as Tore Sandvik, Norway's Minister of Environment, and John Podesta, U.S. Presidential Climate Envoy. In these meetings, the importance of international partnerships to advance agreements that contribute to address the climate crisis and promote strategic investments in biodiversity and energy transition was highlighted.
Muhamad said that his work agenda in New York was the 'last diplomatic push for COP16'.
During her stay in New York, the head of the Environment portfolio also gave interviews to international media such as Univision, Bloomberg News, Axios and CGTN, disseminating Colombia's leadership role in environmental issues and its commitment to COP16.
With this agenda, Colombia reaffirms its leadership on the global environmental scene in a decisive year for the implementation of the global biodiversity pact. The coincidence of the three most important UN summits -climate change, biodiversity and desertification- offers a unique opportunity to advance in concrete actions that guarantee a sustainable future for the planet.