The ‘Age of Human Extinction’: Hope and Frustration at the COP16 Summit on the Nature Crisis

Things are moving, but not fast enough

The urgency at COP16 was palpable.

While vibrant murals of toucans, jaguars and sloths lined the streets of the environmental summit, the grimmer reality is that Latin America and the Caribbean, home to some of the planet’s richest ecosystems, have witnessed a 95% decline in wildlife populations since 1970.

The Amazon is currently suffering its worst drought in more than half a century for over a decade, exacerbated by wildfires that threaten this critical ecosystem.

And as the conference drew to a close, Spain was hit by devastating floods that left more than 200 dead, with harrowing images of cars stacked like toys on narrow streets quickly going viral.

Doomsday news like this is becoming terrifyingly common. As The Guardian’s Jonathan Watts observes, “We live in a time of unwanted climate superlatives.”

Scientific reports reflect the devastation on our news feeds. Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported that 38% of the world’s tree species are in danger of extinction.

Alarmingly, to date, the world has yet to meet a single global goal to halt the destruction of wildlife and ecosystems, as set out in the 2010 Aichi Targets.

Action at COP16 continued on a glacial trajectory, failing to respond to the urgency of these developments.

The financial commitments made at COP16 were drastically below what is needed to protect ecosystems.

And by the end of the conference, governments still failed to reach consensus on key issues, including frameworks for monitoring key biodiversity targets.

Without urgent action, we may no longer be able to rely on nature’s ability to absorb carbon and regulate the climate.

What can we do?

In the face of these challenges, resistance has emerged as both a tool and an opportunity. The stories of resistance of defenders facing relentless attacks on their safety, health and territory have been consistently humbling.

“Colombia is a school of human rights; it’s a school of activism,” noted the UN Human Rights Representative in Colombia, Juliette de Rivero, about the resistance of Colombian defenders and local communities who continue their fight in one of the most dangerous areas in the world. environments for environmental activism.

In the face of this hostility, their steadfast commitment to their homes, lands and communities shows us the meaning of integrity and courage. As the tremors of our present and uncertain future begin to shake us, we can learn a lot from them.

But these communities shouldn’t be so resilient. Their fights are bitterly unfair and completely avoidable. It is up to the holders of power and the leaders of rich nations to show a fraction of the same courage.