UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A delegation of Penn State faculty and graduate students attended the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia. The delegation, registered as official observers, included Mónica Medina, professor of biology; Siela Maximova, research professor of plant biotechnology and director for Latin America and the Caribbean for Penn State Global; Margarita Lopez-Uribe, associate professor of entomology; Estelle Couradeau, assistant professor of soils and environmental microbiology; Camila Gonzalez Arango, a doctoral student studying agricultural and biological engineering; and Julian Prieto, doctoral student studying education policy and leadership.
Medina, who led the delegation, participated in more than a dozen COP16 events, including leading panels on the preservation of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in the International Coral Reef Initiative Pavillion, hosting a public screening of a feature-length documentary on the decline of the world's coral reefs and a follow-up panel discussion, and launching the "SciArtsSymbiosis" initiative, which brought together scientists and artists to work together toward biodiversity conservation.
Medina and Prieto led a panel on the contributions of the Colombian scientific diaspora who are advancing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, an agreement adopted at COP15 that seeks to protect biodiversity on the planet. The discussion was particularly focused on Target 20, which promotes capacity building and knowledge transfer.
Prieto was also a panelist in a session organized by the Peruvian government and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, sharing insights on a science diplomacy strategy for the safeguarding of the Amazon.
Maximova hosted a session with delegates from the Colombia-U.S. Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Alliance, which discussed how the current projects in Colombia contribute towards biodiversity conservation. Lopez-Uribe and Couradeau also participated in this session where they presented their research on pollinators and soils, respectively, on high-altitude grassland ecosystems in Colombia, called páramo.
The Penn State delegation — which was supported by the Institute of Energy and the Environment, Penn State Global and Ag Science Global — also hosted an event to bring together Penn State alumni who were attending COP16.
Penn State News spoke with members of the delegation about COP16, their contributions and next steps.
Q: How is COP16, the world's largest biodiversity summit, addressing some of the biggest challenges facing biodiversity today?
Medina: The connection between climate change and biodiversity loss is now more visible than ever. Climate change and human activities have dramatically affected diverse ecosystems around the world, endangering the survival of different species. The 2024 WWF Living Planet report shows evidence of the loss of more than 70% decline in wildlife populations. The scientific community has raised the alarm about the threat to humanity if we reach a tipping point.
COP16 sought to bring the international community together to make progress in strengthening funding commitments towards biodiversity protection; monitoring mechanisms to track progress on the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework, granting Indigenous communities a part in the decision-making bodies of the Convention on Biological Diversity, a global agreement signed by 196 countries to protect biodiversity; and creating mechanisms to distribute the benefits of using biological diversity genetic information.
Q: What are some promising moments or outcomes from COP16 that you are excited about and why?
Prieto: The most important outcomes include the creation of a body, called a subsidiary organ, for the participation of Indigenous communities, and the creation of "Cali Fund," a fund that companies using digital sequence information — or digital data from biological materials, such as plants, animals and microorganisms — could contribute voluntarily.
These agreements will represent a breaking point in acknowledging and incorporating other sources of knowledge, towards global discussions on climate change, sustainability and environmental conservation. We now need to advance a knowledge diplomacy framework where Indigenous knowledge will be at the table. Transdisciplinary approaches and intercultural dialogues will be instrumental in this process.
Q: How has attending COP16 influenced or expanded the scope of your research?
Gonzalez: Attending the COP16 gave me the opportunity to learn many different things outside of my research field and helped me challenge myself to find different ways of connecting the experiments that I do in the lab with bioeconomy projects on the ground carried out by local communities in my home country, Colombia. It also gave me the opportunity to connect with Penn State alumni and learn more about the different projects they are developing within the framework of climate change and biodiversity. Expanding my network was one of the most significant experiences I can highlight from attending COP16. I feel proud of what was accomplished in Cali during the COP16 and of the work we are doing as a community to address the challenges we face.
Q: How is Penn State supporting or contributing to global biodiversity initiatives, and what role do you see for the University in shaping the future?
Maximova: With ongoing research, global engagement and educational initiatives, Penn State is positioned as a leader in biodiversity efforts, with the potential to significantly influence future conservation strategies. Looking ahead, I believe that Penn State can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of biodiversity conservation by fostering interdisciplinary research and education. The findings from our research could inform effective policies at local, national, and international levels, encouraging decision-makers to prioritize biodiversity conservation and develop comprehensive solutions to biodiversity challenges. Penn State teams are actively contributing to global biodiversity. For instance, an international team of researchers led by Ida Djenontin, Socio-Ecological Outcomes and Monitoring of Restoration in Mosaic Dry Forest-Grassland Ecosystems, is studying the restoration of degraded ecosystems. Another significant initiative led by Christina Grozinger, Interdisciplinary Studies in Entomology, Computer Science and Technology NETwork, is aimed at developing novel monitoring systems for insect populations. It addresses the biodiversity crisis affecting insects, which are vital for pollination and ecosystem health.