Countries launch nature coalition at UN COP16 talks, warn of human extinction

Colombia at the U.N. COP16 biodiversity talks on Tuesday (October 29) launched a coalition with 20 other countries seeking to make "peace with nature," as leaders warned that the rapid destruction of the environment risks humanity's extinction.

The coalition includes countries from four continents including Mexico, Sweden, Uganda and Chile, although none from Asia-Pacific.

The coalition is open to countries that agree to a set of principles aimed at changing humanity's relationship with nature. That includes marshaling money toward conservation and sustainable development, cooperating internationally and mobilizing all of their society toward preserving nature.

The summit of nearly 200 countries underway in the mountain-ringed city of Cali is tasked with figuring out how to halt the decline of nature by 2030, as humans drive habitat loss, climate change, pollution and other activities that destroy biodiversity.