What is it like to come home from Colombia and COP16 and sit down with your daily chores in front of the computer, surrounded by the Swedish November fog? Absolutely wonderful!
I went to my first COP and was blown away. One of the Swedes there described it so aptly; "Like Almedalsveckan, but cubed, and with every single event about biodiversity!"
"From Why to How" became the most unresolved challenge
COP16 was the UN conference on nature that would go 'from Why to How'. In sweaty Cali, the 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework was to be implemented.
But when the COP ended in the early morning of November 2, it left behind a bittersweet mix of hope and unresolved challenges. While there were some breakthroughs in the negotiations, important steps on implementation and financing were missing. The huge imbalance between society and nature remains. USD 5 trillion each year in nature-negative financial flows against USD 35 billion in nature-positive ones.
The power of tens of thousands of people who showed their commitment
My main takeaways, however, are the power of tens of thousands of people who demonstrated their commitment by being at COP16, raising their voices and raising precursors for a new social order, with a common goal to restore ecosystems, restructure value chains and redirect financial flows. The business community's now strong voice for nature-positive action and policies lives on in me.
In the midst of the bittersweet media coverage of COP16 and other world events, everyone with a heart for nature needs to find their own approach. Taking action is my best medicine. That's why I like everyday life in Ecogain, in the middle of the November haze.
