COP16 Dispatch: Week 2 From the Classroom to the Conference Floor, A Student’s Journey in Biodiversity Diplomacy

By Alexa Theodoropoulos

For me, COP16—the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference—was a whirlwind of negotiations, schoolwork, side events, schoolwork, networking, and wait, have I mentioned schoolwork?

When you’re juggling school assignments, deadlines, and an endless to-do list, it’s easy to feel like global crises are too big to fit into your day. But on October 21st, COP16 kicked off, and with it, a gathering of leaders, scientists, and activists from all over the world to confront one of the most critical issues of our time: Biodiversity loss.

Biodiversity is about the relationships and balance within ecosystems, and right now, that balance is hanging by a thread. Species are disappearing at unprecedented rates, ecosystems are collapsing, and many of the world’s most biodiverse regions face irreversible change. COP16 is here to tackle these issues head-on by building an international consensus on how we can halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

Alexa Theodoropoulos at COP16 in Cali, Colombia, October 2024.

What is COP16?

COP16 is part of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and it’s more crucial now than ever. With more than a million species at risk of extinction and ecosystems under constant threat, this conference is a chance to set ambitious goals and global standards. It feels daunting, but exciting, to see the world come together with such urgency.

COP16 is an implementation COP. That means, that while COP15’s main triumph was the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the focus of COP16 is on measuring parties’ progress towards those goals. Spoiler: We haven’t gotten very far.

Why COP16?

Having grown up in the Philippines, one of the world’s most biodiversity-rich countries, and one of the most vulnerable countries to both the climate and biodiversity crises, I have a moral obligation to advocate for biodiversity justice. Back home, warming seas imperil coral reefs in the Coral Triangle, the epicenter of global marine biodiversity. Additionally, mangroves, which store carbon and buffer storms, are threatened by coastal inundation and changing rainfall patterns.

I am now an undergraduate sophomore at Brown University, where I study these key environmental issues. At COP, it was my time to put my learning into action. While the conference, unfortunately, overlapped with the peak of my midterm season, balancing these commitments reminded me that the urgency of climate and biodiversity issues won’t wait.

Takeaway: As students, we might be managing classes and deadlines, but it’s essential to stay aware of what’s happening on the world stage. COP16 is a reminder that every bit of knowledge we gain about the environment might one day help in the fight to save it.

Day 0 (October 24th):

I left for COP mid-way through my second-morning class. I quickly rushed to the Providence train station and arrived in Boston a couple of hours before my flight. From Boston, I flew to Cali, with a layover in between. I spent the train and plane rides in meetings and doing schoolwork.

Day 1 (October 25th):

Regrettably, I had to miss the morning negotiations to work on a midterm assignment due that night. Once I left for the conference venue, I went back and forth between a variety of side events and press conferences. I later had to settle at a quiet spot to attend a virtual meeting with NASA’s Climate Center, which I currently work for.

I then spent the rest of the day exploring all corners of the conference, making pit-stops at the Group on Earth Observations and the ASEAN Pavilion, before heading back to submit my midterm (it was a draft of a research paper on the health impacts of environmental change in Southeast Asia)!

Day 2 (October 26th):

After some time on class work, I headed back to the conference venue and made another round through the various pavilions and working group rooms. I spent the majority of my day at the science forum, watching presentations on topics ranging from the link between forests and rivers to gaps in global biodiversity data. I took a brief break in the afternoon to submit my midterm for my ethnic studies course.

That night, I stayed back at the conference center for a small soiree, where I got to meet other delegates and hear about their experiences at COP thus far. When I got back to the hotel, I completed and submitted my marine science midterm.

Day 3 (October 27th):

I spent the morning, again, in various meetings for school initiatives, interspersed with some studying.

In the afternoon, I caught the latter portion of an ocean conference, convened by the Global Youth Biodiversity Network. It was amazing to see other youth so active in the biodiversity space. As a teenager part of a delegation filled with incredibly inspiring individuals in the later stages of their careers, it was great to be reminded of the importance of young perspectives.

That night, I got to have dinner with other members of the Ecological Society of America delegation and hear about the environmental work they do. I also got to learn how to use the COP16 app to keep track of conference logistics and events.

Plenary session at COP16 in the Youth Zone, October 2024.

Day 4 (October 28th):

I spent the earliest parts of the morning at meetings for Climate Cardinals, the world’s largest youth-led climate organization—where I am a director, and I read up on general COP16 updates on the bus ride to the conference center.

Negotiations resumed at 10:00 am, but not before a protest by civil society actors, outside the main conference room. I stayed at the negotiations themselves for a few hours—observing party delegates belabor on the precise syntax and diction of each sentence—before leaving to catch my flight home. I arrived home well past 2:00 am, in time for my full day of classes ahead.

Reflections:

COP16 concluded with historic milestones, from the creation of the Cali Fund for genetic resource compensation to the recognition of Indigenous and African-descendant communities as key stewards of nature. Camila Paz Romero, an Indigenous spokesperson, reflected on the “long road” that led to this recognition—a journey three decades in the making.

COP16 also created a new subsidiary body to guarantee Indigenous representation in biodiversity decisions. This “benchmark for the world,” as Paz Romero called it, solidifies a permanent space for their participation. However, unresolved issues, particularly the lack of a new fund for biodiversity finance, underscored lingering divides between Global North and South. The failure to establish dedicated financing left many developing countries disappointed, especially as urgent funding is essential to meet the 2030 targets set in the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework.

COP16 includes plans to monitor and report on progress, but will countries stick to these commitments? Accountability will be key, and many NGOs and youth advocates are pushing for transparent reporting to keep countries on track. As a student, I’m watching this carefully, knowing that our generation will need to keep these promises accountable.

Looking forward to COP29 (the United Nations Climate Conference), where I will also be a delegate, I’m carrying forward the lessons learned at COP16 to hold negotiators accountable.

Alexa Theodoropoulos at COP16 in Cali, Colombia, October 2024.

If this experience has taught me anything, it’s that change is slow and demanding, but it’s also necessary. Whether we’re students, activists, or leaders, we all have a role in ensuring that these biodiversity goals aren’t forgotten.

Takeaway: COP16 may be over, but the work is just starting. As students and global citizens, we have the power—and the responsibility—to make sure these commitments lead to real change.

Back at school, I’m more motivated than ever to make my studies count, knowing that my voice, like so many others, is part of a global call to action.

To all government negotiators, this is another reminder that the world is watching. I am watching. It’s time to step up and deliver on your promises. Gone is the era of passive indifference. Now is the time for action.

Disclaimer: Opinions are solely those of the guest contributor and not an official ESA policy or position.