By Alek Buttermann As the COP16 biodiversity summit kicks off in Cali, Colombia, global leaders and experts have gathered to address the alarming decline in the planet’s biodiversity. With nearly 200 countries represented,

With some 23,000 pre-registered delegates representing almost every country on Earth, today's opening of the 16th Conference of the Parties under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 16) marks the arrival of a critical moment for biodiversity.

On Oct. 21, representatives of the world’s governments will gather in Cali, Colombia for two weeks of negotiations, side events and maybe some big announcements, too. They will meet as the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD).