At the COP16 biodiversity conference in Rome, 196 nations agreed to mobilize at least $200 billion per year by 2030 to help developing countries conserve biodiversity. The deal was hailed as a win for multilateralism in uncertain times.
Despite a tumultuous geopolitical landscape, the COP16 biodiversity conference in Rome, Italy, delivered a landmark agreement in March 2025. The 196 states that signed up to the Convention on Biological Diversity committed to mobilizing at least $200 billion per year by 2030 to help developing countries protect and restore their natural ecosystems. The deal includes direct funding mechanisms for Indigenous communities and local stewards who play outsized roles in conservation.
"Negotiators from all countries put their differences aside to forge a common path forward," said Lin Li, senior director for global policy at WWF International. "What's left now is an urgent need to mobilize funding to ensure we reach the $200 billion a year committed by 2030." While many countries wanted greater ambition to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 — a target that looks challenging — the agreement demonstrated that international cooperation on environmental issues remains possible even in polarized times.
“The 196 states that signed up to the Convention on Biological Diversity committed to mobilizing at least $200 billion per year by 2030 to help developing countries protect and restore their natural ecosystems.”
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