Governments Pledge $200 Billion Annually For Biodiversity

In a historic accord, governments have made a commitment to mobilize no less than $200 billion a year by 2030 for financing biodiversity conservation. This landmark decision, taken in Rome on 27 February 2025, comes after the resumed COP16 negotiations following suspended negotiations in Cali, Colombia, in 2024. The accord represents a key step towards putting into action the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) by obtaining finance pledges, enhancing accountability, and making private sector funding a certainty through the recently introduced Cali Fund.

The funding commitment has a near-term goal of $20 billion annually in global funding by 2025, rising to $30 billion per year by 2030. The funds will be used for global biodiversity conservation efforts, especially in developing countries where the need for conservation is most acute. The accord creates permanent funding mechanisms under Articles 21 and 39 of the Convention on Biological Diversity to improve current financial tools to guarantee long-term viability.

Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, emphasized the significance of this commitment, stating, “This agreement shows that multilateralism works and is the vehicle to build the partnerships needed to protect biodiversity. We now have a mandate clear as day to use Article 21 and 39… the world will have empowered itself to close the finance gap for biodiversity. The agreement will provide the important resources to meet the loss of biodiversity and adopt conservation measures efficiently.

One of the major elements of the deal is creating a strong monitoring and reporting mechanism to monitor the progress toward KMGBF's 23 goals and four grand objectives. It will help policymakers interpret data in an efficient way and aggregate conclusions across the globe so that the efforts toward implementation do not stray from the course. Governments and international bodies, through enhanced data collection and openness, can analyze conservation achievements and make changes as necessary.

The monitoring system also makes the contribution of non-state actors, such as business, civil society organizations, and indigenous peoples, to biodiversity commitments clearer. The open approach makes sure that everyone contributes to safeguarding ecosystems and natural habitats. The global review process will be formally assessed at COP17, where additional fine-tuning might be brought in on the basis of progress reports.

The highlight of COP16 was also the inauguration of the Cali Fund, a specific financial instrument intended to promote private sector funding to biodiversity conservation. The fund will be funded by private companies based on digital sequence information (DSI) generated from genetic materials. In particular, at least 50% of the resources of the Cali Fund will be directly channeled to indigenous and local communities, in consideration of the key role they play in conservation activities and the sustainable management of resources.

COP16 President Susana Muhamad highlighted the need for cooperation in achieving such ambitious conservation objectives. "Only through collaborating can we make Peace with Nature a reality," she emphasized, noting that global cooperation is needed to secure genuine progress.

The Rome agreement is a milestone in biodiversity conservation, ensuring that strategic and financial commitments are made far beyond 2030. Through the establishment of sustainable funding, the strengthening of monitoring mechanisms, and the encouragement of private sector participation, COP16 has set the stage for long-term biodiversity protection. Through these steps, governments, organizations, and communities around the globe are now better positioned to protect the world's ecosystems for generations to come.