Groundbreaking Fund Established for Biodiversity Conservation in International Talks

Sun Feb 01 2026 09:54:10 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A new financial mechanism aims to channel profits from genetic data use into environmental protection as global delegates convene in Colombia.

At the recent COP16 conference in Cali, Colombia, nearly 200 countries reached consensus on a novel fund promoting biodiversity conservation through financial contributions from businesses leveraging genetic information, directing significant support toward Indigenous custodians.

In a landmark decision at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, diplomats from almost 200 nations have established a new fund designed to bolster global conservation initiatives by redirecting profits tied to genetic data. The discussions, held in Cali, Colombia, concluded recently after an intensive two-week negotiation period.

The fund, which targets companies monetizing genetic information, known in the scientific community as digital sequence information, mandates that businesses contribute a fee corresponding to their benefits derived from biodiversity. With advances in genetic sequencing rendering data more accessible, a wealth of genetic material is now available for analysis by industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to cosmetics.

Delegates at the COP16 talks hailed the agreement as a crucial step in diversifying funding sources for conservation, traditionally reliant on government allocations and charitable contributions. According to Amber Scholz, who leads the science policy department at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ in Germany, this initiative signifies a new era where businesses exploiting biodiversity will also be held accountable financially.

The final declaration outlined the voluntary nature of the fund, suggesting companies should contribute 1 percent of their profits or 0.1 percent of their revenue toward the environmental cause. While governments are encouraged to consider legislation to enforce these contributions, the guidelines were left somewhat open-ended.

Experts estimate that this innovative funding approach could generate approximately $1 billion annually for biodiversity efforts. Notably, the agreement allocates half of the available funds to Indigenous communities, acknowledging their vital role in biodiversity stewardship, although some provisions remain flexible.

Although the conference overran its planned conclusion on Friday, essential topics, including a contentious discussion on mobilizing $200 billion a year by 2030 for ecological projects, were left unresolved. Representatives indicated that discussions would continue in future meetings.

COP16 follows the ambitious biodiversity goals set earlier at the 15th Conference held in Montreal in 2022, reflecting ongoing global commitment to environmental preservation and restoration efforts.