Last week, the Jane Goodall Institute attended the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (also referred to as COP16), where we were able to contribute to an essential, global conversation on the future of our planet, presenting on our Tacare approach to community-led conservation!
What is COP16?
There are a lot of “COP,” or Conference of the Parties, events floating around, so it’s easy to get confused! This event marks the 🔗 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16). It is expected to be the biggest and most well attended biodiversity COP to date.
This conference is generally held every two years, and provides an opportunity for governing bodies and key partners from around the world to come together and work towards three major goals:
- The conservation of biological diversity
- The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity
- The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources
In short, it’s about protecting the variety of life on this planet, preventing exploitation of this resource, and ensuring that all have a fair share in the benefits of global biodiversity.
This Year’s Focus
The theme for the 16th meeting — which took place October 20 through November 1 in Cali, Colombia — was “Peace with Nature,” emphasizing the need for a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world.
This year, participants were also focused on the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted during COP15 in 2022. The framework includes global targets to be achieved by 2030 in order to protect and use biodiversity sustainably.
At COP16, governments were asked to review their progress implementing systems to meet these targets, reflecting on how their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) align with this framework. Then, representatives negotiated changes to their plans going forward.
Why it matters
The biodiversity crisis doesn’t just affect wildlife enthusiasts — it impacts us all. Jane frequently talks about our planet’s network of ecosystems as a great “tapestry of life” — if just one thread comes loose, the whole thing could unravel.
As species die off, major functions within an ecosystem are left empty. Zoonotic diseases spread more quickly when predators aren’t present to feed on sick animals; a lack of local pollinators leads to poor crop yield. Healthy ecosystems are critical to both individual livelihoods and the global economy, and ignoring biodiversity loss puts us all at risk.
JGI at COP16
JGI’s involvement with COP16 was sparked by Jane meeting with Colombian Minister of the Environment Susana Mohamed in August of this year. With close to 200 countries in the UN represented, and a total of about 15,000 people in attendance, we’re honored that the Jane Goodall Institute was able to not only attend as an official observer, but also actively contribute to conversations at COP16.
Sharing Our Tacare Approach to Community-Led Conservation
On Sunday, October 27, Dr. Lilian Pintea led a training session as part the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Pavilion organized with Esri on accelerating action with local communities and youth by “Advancing Community-Led Conservation with the Jane Goodall Institute Tacare Solutions and GIS”.
This signature framework was created by Dr. Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute to facilitate local people to own and drive conservation decisions on their own lands and develop nature-based solutions that ultimately benefit people, animals, and the environment. The presentation included resources to scale Tacare around the world. Alongside this, we launched a new 🔗 Tacare Story Map in English and Spanish describing our Tacare approach to community-led conservation. A low bandwidth and additional language versions will be added soon.
Dr. Pintea then discussed Tacare tools developed as part of the Jane Goodall Institute Science & Knowledge Platform developed with supported from Apple, USAID, Esri, Blue Raster, Esri Eastern Africa and other partners. He focused on how ArcGIS field data collection apps, satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies, NASA, and online dashboards have been used to power JGI’s:
• Community Mapping System
• Tree Planting and Restoration System, and
• Decision Support & Alert System
Finally, David Gadsden, Director of Conservation Solutions at Esri provided an overview of the geographic approach to conservation and how ArcGIS technologies could be used to deploy and configure community conservation models, like Tacare, at scale.
Note: Additional versions of the story map coming soon!
Celebrating the Impact of Roots & Shoots Colombia
We had the pleasure of celebrating the work of Roots & Shoots Colombia with a beautiful exhibit in the Blue Zone, or main conference space, at COP16. This space honored the impact of Colombia’s own Los Manglares School, which is based on the Roots & Shoots curriculum and encourages students to make a difference by developing their own community projects. Roots & Shoots is the youth-action program of the Jane Goodall Institute.
Honoring JGI’s Work in the Budongo and Bugoma Corridor
The JGI team also had the honor of accepting a Global Biodiversity Standard certification on behalf of Jane Goodall Institute Uganda. This accreditation, which was newly announced at this year’s COP, recognizes scientifically rigorous tree planting and habitat restoration programs around the world, and is coordinated by Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
The Budongo and Bugoma corridor in Uganda is now among the first in the world to receive this certification, a testament to the work of JGI Uganda, JGI Austria, and our partner Ecosia. Said our founder, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE: “This recognition honours our commitment to preserving life’s diversity and restoring vital habitats. Guided by the scientific rigor of the Standard, the leadership of local hub partners in assessment, and the communities on the ground striving to protect their environment. The Global Biodiversity Standard reminds us of our responsibility to protect our ecosystems, not just for our own survival, but for the future of every living creature with whom we share this planet. My hope is that many more organisations will adopt the measures laid out by the Standard and ensure we regenerate the planet for future generations.” 💚
Why Tacare is Key
The biodiversity crisis affects both people and wildlife, and JGI’s Tacare approach recognizes that local communities are the best stewards of their ecosystems. By meeting people’s immediate needs and building sustainable futures together while leveraging and using the geographic approach, participatory science, and relevant technologies, Tacare ensures that conservation efforts are both effective and long-lasting.
With just six years until the 2030 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework deadline, the Jane Goodall Institute released an 🔗 official statement ahead of COP16 urging all participants to play their part. We still have time to make a difference for global biodiversity, but we can only succeed by working together.
