COP16, the largest biodiversity COP to date organized by the UN CBD (UN Biodiversity), took place in Cali, Colombia, bringing together 23,000 delegates, including 3,000 private sector representatives and an unprecedented number of indigenous community leaders.
The primary focus of COP16 was the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), launched at COP15 in Montreal (December 2022) and ratified by all UN nations—except the United States.
Representing Roland Berger, Karim was invited to speak on multiple occasions during the two-week summit.
Karim’s first speaking engagement was at the IUCN Pavilion, where he discussed the positive role of tourism in nature conservation, particularly in achieving Target 3 of the KMGBF—protecting 30% of the planet by 2030.
Other speakers and panelists included:
- Thiago Beraldo, Chair – IUCN WCPA TAPAS Group
- James Hardcastle, Head, Protected and Conserved Areas Team – IUCN
- Glenn Mandziuk, CEO – World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
- Pedro Menezes, Founder – Brazilian Trails Network
- Richard Bazan, Regional Manager, Americas – Planeterra
- Amber Nuttall, Sustainability Director – Extreme International
- Ruth Alipaz Cuqui, General Coordinator – Bolivia’s National Coordination for the Defense of Indigenous, Campesino, and Protected Areas (CONTIOCAP) / Bird Bolivia
- Camila Nay Vargas, Member – Bolivia’s National Coordination for the Defense of Indigenous, Campesino, and Protected Areas (CONTIOCAP)
On Finance Day, Karim spoke and moderated a panel on biodiversity credits, an event organized by Savimbo, a developer of innovative credits based on key indicator species in the Amazon, such as the jaguar, in partnership with local indigenous communities.
Other speakers and panelists included:
- Thiago Beraldo, Chair – IUCN WCPA TAPAS Group
- James Hardcastle, Head, Protected and Conserved Areas Team – IUCN
- Glenn Mandziuk, CEO – World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
- Pedro Menezes, Founder – Brazilian Trails Network
- Richard Bazan, Regional Manager, Americas – Planeterra
- Amber Nuttall, Sustainability Director – Extreme International
- Ruth Alipaz Cuqui, General Coordinator – Bolivia’s National Coordination for the Defense of Indigenous, Campesino, and Protected Areas (CONTIOCAP) / Bird Bolivia
- Camila Nay Vargas, Member – Bolivia’s National Coordination for the Defense of Indigenous, Campesino, and Protected Areas (CONTIOCAP)
On Finance Day, Karim spoke and moderated a panel on biodiversity credits, an event organized by Savimbo, a developer of innovative credits based on key indicator species in the Amazon, such as the jaguar, in partnership with local indigenous communities.
Other speakers and panelists included:
- Alex Saer, CEO – Cercarbono
- Rannveig Anna Guicharnaud, PhD, CSO – International Carbon Registry (ICR)
- Alvaro Vallejo Rendón, Biodiversity Credit Program Leader – ICR
- Dr. Ulrike Pfreundt, Co-Founder – rrreefs
- Lydia Zemke, Fellow – Harvard University, Senior Advisor – EarthAcre
- Dr. Philipp Staudacher, Head of Portfolio – Innovate 4 Nature
- Nathalie Whitaker, Co-Founder – Toha Network
- Fredy Alonso Duque Pineda, Program Lead – FSC Indigenous Foundation
Beyond these key sessions, Karim participated in:
- 30×30 Action Day roundtables organized by the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC)
- A biodiversity education discussion on Education Day
While in Cali, he also explored the region’s incredible biodiversity, visiting Farallones National Park, San Antonio Forest, and Las Garzas Eco-Park, where he observed hummingbirds, tanagers, and the ibis bird—a reminder that Colombia boasts the world’s greatest bird diversity!
Looking ahead, Karim plans to contribute and speak at COP17, the next biodiversity COP, set to take place in Armenia in October 2026.
