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The Danish Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Danish Industry and State of Green are launching a joint Danish delegation to COP16. Read more about events, initiatives and agendas.
Discover Denmark at COP16Never has the private focus on biodiversity been greater. Representing the largest Danish business delegation ever at Biodiversity COP, 26 Danish corporates across production, finance and consultancy alongside business organisations will be present at the United Nations’ COP16, taking place from 21 October – 1 November in the Colombian city of Cali.
The Danish stakeholders will showcase innovative solutions and tangible tools, taking part in events and knowledge-sharing, with the purpose of fostering new partnerships with global leaders and organisations in the global battle against loss of biodiversity.
Danish Industry and State of Green organises the delegation in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Gender Equality, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Embassy in Colombia. Denmark’s Minister for Environment of Denmark, Magnus Heunicke, will be present during the final days of negotiations.
Denmark is making efforts to tackle the increasing challenges threatening both local and global biodiversity. Discover cases and insights showcasing good examples of how to include biodiversity in projects and operations.
Discover biodiversityThe range and diversity of participants from the private sector reflect the growing focus on biodiversity and the active involvement of Danish companies in the global effort to protect nature. The delegation, which includes manufacturing companies, financial institutions, consultancies, NGOs, and business organisations, represents the largest business delegation ever to attend a biodiversity COP.
“Danish companies and financial institutions are dedicated to delivering through business models and cooperation on a global scale. No company and no country can deliver on its own. Cooperation between companies and governments is imperial. Therefore, I am proud to see so many companies and organisations join forces to change the path for biodiversity and societies”, says Karin Klitgaard, Director, Danish Industry.
In Denmark, the biodiversity crisis is recognised as a challenge on par with climate change. Denmark has a strong tradition of tackling environmental challenges through public-private partnerships. The government’s 14 Climate Partnerships, and more recently the Danish Biodiversity Partnership, are prime examples of Denmark’s approach to driving tangible action by engaging industry. This approach leverages the strengths of government, businesses and civil society to create innovative solutions to complex problems, including biodiversity loss. At COP16, Denmark’s delegation will aim to demonstrate how public-private partnerships can help drive biodiversity action globally.
“Denmark’s experience with public-private partnerships has shown that when we unite the strengths of government, businesses, and civil society we can address complex environmental challenges. By aligning interests of all sectors, we can create powerful alliances capable of delivering innovative and scalable solutions. At COP16, we aim to showcase how this collaborative approach can foster global biodiversity action, driving meaningful change that benefits both nature and society”, says Finn Mortensen, Executive Director, State of Green.
Denmark is heading to COP16 to showcase tangible solutions and present its approach to biodiversity efforts, which is rooted in close collaboration between public and private sectors. A prime example of this is the Danish Biodiversity Partnership, established and facilitated by the Ministry of Environment. The partnership includes 22 members, spanning business organisations, NGOs, and educational institutions. This summer, the partnership presented a series of concrete recommendations on how businesses, financial institutions, and public entities can work together to support biodiversity.
Alongside the private sector, several Danish NGOs and civil society organisations are represented in the delegation:
As part of the programme, State of Green and Danish Industry will host a side event at the Colombian Pavilion in the Blue Zone, focusing on public-private biodiversity partnerships and the key aspect of financing biodiversity efforts. This event will have a strong focus on how to secure finance for biodiversity, but also build on the necessary cross-sector collaboration.
Other key events include a panel discussion on 26 October, co-hosted by Danish Industry and WWF, which will explore how Denmark’s public-private model can accelerate biodiversity action both locally and globally, as well as World Biodiversity Summit, organised by World Climate Foundation, which gathers renowned global leaders from government, business, finance, and civil society to discuss biodiversity restoration.
The world is experiencing unprecedented biodiversity loss, threatening ecosystems that provide essential services such as food, clean water, and climate regulation. The rapid loss of biodiversity, driven by habitat destruction, climate change and over-exploitation, poses a significant risk to both nature and the global economy.
COP16 provides a crucial platform for governments, businesses, and civil society to accelerate efforts to halt biodiversity loss and promote sustainable use of natural resources. Denmark’s delegation, comprised of public and private stakeholders, aims to contribute to these global efforts by sharing expertise, tools and solutions for integrating biodiversity considerations into business operations and addressing scope 3 emissions.
The Danish delegation will explore opportunities for collaboration with international partners, with a focus on sharing knowledge and fostering partnerships that can drive the global transition towards more sustainable ecosystems. Denmark’s participation at COP16 underlines the country’s commitment to contributing to global biodiversity goals, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to protect 30% of the world’s land and marine areas by 2030.
COP16 refers to the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The CBD COP is a global summit where governments, civil society, and other stakeholders gather to discuss and agree on actions for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity.
COP16 will take place in 2024 in Cali, Colombia. The conference will consist of a blue zone, which will provide an area for official UN delegations and negotiations, and a green zone, which will offer space for academic events, exhibitions, and cultural agendas.
At the CBD COP conferences, countries discuss critical biodiversity issues, such as the conservation of ecosystems, sustainable use of biological resources, and fair sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources.
The main theme of COP16 is “Peace with Nature”. This theme emphasizes the interconnectedness between human societies and nature, underscoring the need for harmonious coexistence and sustainable management of natural resources.
COP16 will continue discussions and actions to achieve the targets laid out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), working towards reversing biodiversity loss and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) currently has 196 member states or Parties. It is expected that around 12.000 delegates and observers will participate at COP16, including government representatives, NGOs, scientists, Indigenous peoples, and private sector stakeholders. Of the 196 member states only the United States hasn’t ratified the convention.
Confirmed high-level guests include António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, and Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, as well as 10 heads of state, 4 vice presidents, 6 foreign ministers and 110 ministers of biodiversity portfolios.
Read more about COP16
