This week’s 16th Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity is crucial for global ambitions on nature conservation. Looking to advance progress towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) goals and targets adopted by almost 200 countries (including Sri Lanka) at the last CoP in 2022, all attention this year is on the 700 billion dollar question, “So where will the money come from?” $ 700 billion is the annual biodiversity finance gap, identified in the GBF and analysed in detail by The Nature Conservancy. Recognising the urgent need to fill this gap, Target 19 of the GBF commits to “mobilise $ 200 billion per year for biodiversity from all sources”. As Conservation International’s Chief Strategy Officer remarked ahead of the summit in Cali, Colombia, “...negotiators cannot leave Cali without deciding where some of that funding will originate, when it will be delivered, and what groups will receive it”.

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