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Business Influence Grows at UN’s Largest Biodiversity Conference

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The recent UN biodiversity conference, Cop16 in Cali, Colombia, saw an unprecedented number of business and industry representatives, sparking concerns about the influence of corporate interests on Conservation goals. With 1,261 industry delegates present, more than double the count at the previous conference, this year’s event marked a big shift in corporate presence and influence at UN biodiversity negotiations. The increase in business attendees also contributed to making Cop16 the largest UN nature conference to date.

Key sectors with notable jumps in representation included food and beverage processing, which saw a staggering 460% increase in delegates, and the tech industry, with attendance up by 333%. Delegates from the agrochemical, pharmaceutical, and oil and gas industries also attended in larger numbers. The surge of corporate involvement led some environmental advocates to question whether business interests may have stalled progress on critical issues, including funding for nature, biodiversity monitoring, and reducing environmentally harmful subsidies.

Oscar Soria, director of the Common Initiative think tank, highlighted tensions between industry-driven priorities and Conservation goals. He pointed to the increased presence of agrochemical and biotech representatives, saying, “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.” The biotechnology sector, in particular, was reportedly assertive in opposing the voluntary digital sequencing information (DSI) initiative, which would require companies to share profits from discoveries based on natural genetic resources.

Corporate delegates not only attended as separate industry representatives but were also included in country delegations. CropLife International, an agrochemical trade group, had three members as part of Canada and Brazil’s delegations. Other companies like BASF and Syngenta joined as part of national delegations, raising questions about blending corporate and state interests in the proceedings. According to DeSmog’s analysis, the true number of industry attendees may even be underestimated due to the complexities of delegate affiliations.

While the UN acknowledges the significance of engaging private-sector actors, some conservationists remain wary. Rob Cooke of the British Ecological Society observed the dual impact of business participation: “On the one hand, I optimistically see it as a sign that nature is being taken seriously in terms of business and finance… On the other hand, the pessimist in me worries that industry representatives may use their influence to water down regulations or delay the necessary actions to halt biodiversity loss.”