A record 1,261 business and industry delegates attended the recent Cop16 biodiversity summit in Colombia, sparking debate about the influence of corporate lobbyists on global biodiversity policies.
Phoebe Weston reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Business delegates, representing industries from oil and gas to pesticides to food processing, more than doubled from the last UN biodiversity summit, with food and tech sectors seeing especially sharp increases.
- Industry lobbying focused on limiting policies to protect biodiversity, such as those on genetic resource profit-sharing, which met resistance from civil society groups.
- Some companies joined government delegations rather than separate industry groups, raising concerns over potential conflicts in conservation negotiations.
Key quote:
“We certainly saw a stronger lobbying push for policies that favor agricultural productivity, and that clashed with the conservation goals and the position of civil society.”
— Oscar Soria, director of the Common Initiative thinktank
Why this matters:
A rising corporate presence in biodiversity talks may risk diluting protections for ecosystems and prioritizing industry interests over conservation. With biodiversity loss accelerating, transparent negotiations are a key part of ensuring sustainable practices aren't compromised by business lobbying.
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