Representatives of NbS initiatives returned home early this month after participating in the 16th Conference of the Parties (CBDCOP 16) in Cali, Colombia. This international gathering underscored the global commitment to protecting and supporting our ecosystems, building on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and addressing urgent biodiversity challenges worldwide. NetworkNature actively supported these goals in both the Blue Zone, where official negotiations took place, and the Green Zone, dedicated to public engagement and civil society activities.
At COP16, NetworkNature showcased regional and local actions for biodiversity through joint sessions highlighting key outputs and cases from NbS Horizon Europe projects such as REGREEN, REST-COAST, INTERLACE, and NATURANCE. These discussions connected diverse stakeholders, and illustrated the essential role NbS play in addressing climate and biodiversity challenges. As Daniela Rizzi, coordinator of NetworkNature from ICLEI Europe, explains, “NetworkNature has been helping showcase the achievements of EU-funded NbS projects at Biodiversity COPs, highlighting practical successes and lessons learned to inform global biodiversity policy. It demonstrates how EU-funded projects and NetworkNature’s initiatives extend beyond Europe, fostering learning and exchange with other countries.”
At COP16, NetworkNature had the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with NbS advocates working in Latin America, including Indigenous leaders, the Naturaleza Transformativa platform, IPBES experts, as well as Standard Bodies, academics and industry professionals. Exchange took place organically onsite, but also via the multiple sessions organised by NetworkNature, running the topical gamut between multi-level governance to innovating financing mechanisms.
Strengthening Multi-Level Governance and Global Partnerships Across Sectors
Our session "Advancing Nature-based Solutions with Strategic Multilevel Governance" highlighted the critical role of multilevel governance in advancing NbS through capacity building and collaboration. Emphasising the need for national and regional NbS hubs, speakers showcased how these hubs foster cross-sector engagement for effective NbS implementation. A new publication on collaboration pathways on NbS between Europe and Latin America, stemming from the Declaration of the EU-CELAC Summit 2023, was also announced, underscoring NbS as a shared priority across regions.
On collaboration across countries and sectors, Jóna Ólavsdóttir, Nordic Council of Ministers NbS Nordic Hub inspired the audience, saying “there is no patent on good ideas in the public sector; take and adapt freely!”
Participants left with a deeper understanding of best practices from both continents, highlighting partnerships and coordinated governance as essential to addressing global environmental challenges.
Mainstreaming biodiversity in climate action- from policy to practice
The NbS Task Force 3 was represented at COP16 through a session held in the EU Pavilion titled “Bridging Global Perspectives on Transformative Change towards a Nature-Positive Economy." This session will complement TF3’s efforts in drafting the publication "Accelerating the Uptake of Nature-based Solutions in the Nature-Positive Economy," scheduled for release in 2025. Speakers from EU projects Invest4Nature, GoNaturePositive! and NetworkNature came together to share diverse perspectives—including valuable insights from the Global South—to explore the understanding around the Nature-Positive Economy. Case studies from China (from the report “Nature-based solutions: Lessons from European and Chinese case studies”) and Colombia highlighted locally adapted approaches to NbS. The insights and discussions from the session will directly inform TF3’s upcoming publication, further strengthening the case for a nature-positive economy as a key driver of transformative change—cultivating a future with more abundant nature than exists today, advancing biodiversity, creating jobs, fostering nature-positive value chains, and encouraging behavioural change worldwide.
Mobilising Private Finance and Public Imagination to Build a Nature-Positive Economy
In order to reach the GBF targets, private finance involvement is more critical than ever. At the session Unlocking private finance to enable a just transition towards a regenerative economy?, organised by Altamira and partners in the Green Zone, speakers examined the impact of investing in NbS for adaptation as an entry point to understand the growing potential for impact investing in nature and biodiversity. Demand for this type of investment is rising, particularly among the next generation. “There is a growing opportunity in impact investing for nature and biodiversity, as demand from the next generation for this type of investment is increasing. Now it is time to democratise the opportunity,” said Juliana Granados, Executive Director, Investing with Impact, Morgan Stanley.
The session, "Bridging Economy and Biodiversity: Collaborative Approaches to a Nature-Positive Future," led by GoNaturePositive! and The Nature of Cities (TNOC), engaged the wider public in the Green Zone through an interactive exercise. Participants were invited to envision a nature-positive economy for 2035 using discussions, drawings, and scenario planning focused on local contexts like Cali's port, the surrounding forests, the Cauca Valley, and the river. This interactive approach encouraged participants to imagine how a nature-positive economy could shape their communities, underscoring the role of NbS in achieving transformative change.
Amplifying NetworkNature’s NbS Voices at COP16: Creativity, Collaboration, and Action
During COP16, creativity and collaboration was a crucial theme. The Nature of Cities had a keynote at Biopolis: Living Landscapes and Infrastructures for Healthy Communities, which highlighted the synergy of art and science, in an event organised by the International Living Infrastructure Commission (LINC) and partners like WGIN, IFLA, and Colombia’s Alexander Von Humboldt Institute.
Maddox’s talk, 1+1=3... Art, Science and Other Entanglements for Biodiversity, highlighted the synergy of art and science, featuring TNOC’s NbS Comics. TNOC also contributed to the Festival for Peace with Nature with an inspiring keynote, Five Interesting Words, sparking dialogue on creative ways to mainstream NbS.
Inspired by CBD COP16? Explore these initiatives to keep the momentum going!
- Visit COP16’s website!
- Rewatch the COP16 sessions.
- Learn more about the NetworkNature Hubs and open an NbS hub in your country!
- Check out the NbS expert reports with cases from Latin America and the Caribbean and from China.
- Contribute to the GoNaturePositive! survey actively seeking input to shape the future of the nature-positive economy.