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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Patrick Greenfield

Cop16 at a glance: the big issues that will define talks at Colombia’s UN summit

Two young women pass posters announcing the COP 16 event in Cali, Colombia
The Colombian city of Cali, which will host Cop16. Most countries have yet to lay out plans for how to deliver on 2022’s key Kunming-Montreal deal. Photograph: Joaquín Sarmiento/AFP/Getty Images

Every two years, leaders from around the world gather to discuss the state of life on Earth, negotiating agreements to preserve biodiversity and stop the destruction of nature. This week, representatives of 196 countries are gathering in Cali, Colombia, for the 16th UN Conference of the Parties summit (Cop16).

It is the first biodiversity-focused meeting since 2022, when governments struck a historic deal to halt the destruction of ecosystems. Scientists, Indigenous communities, business representatives and environment ministers from nearly 200 countries will discuss progress towards the targets and negotiate how they will be monitored. Here are the main things to look out for during the summit.

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