Paul-Alexander Lejas, Contributing Photographer
Students, faculty and staff from the School of the Environment are in Cali, Colombia, from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1 for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity COP 16. While there, attendants will discuss the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a U.N. agreement aimed at decreasing human-induced species extinction.
COP 16 marks the first implementation-focused conference since the framework’s adoption in 2022, and it has drawn participants from diverse backgrounds to engage in conversations on biodiversity financing, health and conservation. Countries have six years to meet 23 targets set by the framework.
Thirteen School of the Environment students are attending the conference in Colombia. For many Yale students, this represents an opportunity not just to observe high-level negotiations, but to actively contribute to global efforts that align with their academic and professional interests.
Federico Perez ENV ’26 traveled to his home country of Colombia for the conference.
“For me, as a Colombian deeply involved in tropical forest conservation and restoration through my organization, Selvitas, this convention represents a critical platform to ensure that voices from the frontlines of biodiversity loss are heard and integrated into global decision-making,” Perez told the News.
According to Perez, attendants at the conference are moving towards defining clear indicators and strategies to achieve the 23 targets by 2030, a set of goals in the Kunming-Montreal Agreement to address biodiversity loss and store natural ecosystems.
“We are primarily here as observers, but our contributions depend on who we partner with,” Tara Hoda ENV ’25, a student at YSE and a Liberian delegation aide at the convention, said. “In my case, I’m supporting the Liberian delegation by preparing talking points and offering logistical support, with a focus on health and biodiversity.”
While official negotiations are limited to national delegations, Yale attendees, like Hoda, collaborate with partners to provide data and resources. Her work with Ecohealth Alliance, a NYC-based nonprofit tackling the intersection of health and the environment in Western Africa, includes working with the Liberian Forestry Development Authority. For Hoda, this is a natural progression from her prior work on sustainable financing mechanisms in West Africa.
The conference offers students like Hoda a real-world experience in international environmental policy and a chance to learn from global stakeholders.
Perez is excited to see how different participants across environmental, government and business sectors collaborate to develop innovative strategies.
Professor Eli Fenichel, the Knobloch Family Foundation Professor of Natural Resource Economics at YSE who also attended the conference, emphasized the importance of this conference for future environmental leaders.
“Yale’s involvement is important in training future leaders on how to lead evidence-based international policy,” Fenichel said. “COP 16 helps us understand the knowledge gaps, making our research more relevant to both policy and action.”
Fenichel’s role in the conference includes organizing events and speaking on biodiversity financing, a critical issue in the global effort to protect nature. With a background in working with multilateral development banks — or MDBs — and shaping economic planning policies, he aims to bridge the gap between nature and economics.
The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, or CBD, COP 16 is held every two years.