The two-week COP16 biodiversity summit kicked off in Colombia on Sunday, with Colombian officials and indigenous community representatives attending the opening ceremony.

The summit, running until November 1, is focused on addressing the rapid and unprecedented global destruction of nature in 2024. It aims to establish the next steps for implementing the historic 2022 Kunming-Montreal accord, often referred to as the biodiversity equivalent of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Participants are gathering to confront the ongoing crisis in biodiversity, driven by climate change, deforestation, pollution, and habitat loss. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports a dramatic 69% decline in global wildlife populations since 1970 due to these factors.

As world leaders and environmental advocates meet in Colombia, the call for urgent action to protect the planet's biodiversity is more critical than ever.

The upcoming COP29 in Baku is expected to build on the momentum of this summit, pushing forward global efforts to safeguard the environment.