The Amazon is close to the point of no return. COP16 is a critical opportunity to act

The Amazon rainforest is facing a critical tipping point driven by deforestation, climate change, and extreme drought, with September 2024 seeing the highest number of fires in 14 years. A collapse of the Amazon would release billions of tonnes of CO2, jeopardizing the 1.5°C global warming limit and disrupting global food supplies. The author calls for COP16 in Colombia to secure the delivery of national action plans under the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which aims to halt biodiversity loss by 2030. This requires transforming food, energy, and finance systems, as well as mobilizing $700 billion annually for nature, including the $20 billion annual commitment from developed to developing states by 2025.

• The Amazon is nearing a tipping point where it can no longer function as a rainforest, exacerbated by deforestation, the El Niño weather pattern, and climate change. This was evidenced by the number of fires reaching their highest level in 14 years in September 2024.
• A tipping point in the Amazon would have global consequences, including the release of billions of tonnes of CO2, making the 1.5°C climate goal impossible to achieve and negatively impacting global food supplies and agricultural productivity.
• The Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, but most governments have failed to submit the national action plans promised for delivery by COP16.
• To sustain global economies, an annual investment of at least $700 billion in nature is required. This includes a specific commitment from developed countries to mobilize $20 billion per year for developing states by 2025, which currently remains unfulfilled.

APA

González, K. S. M. S. M. (2024). The Amazon is close to the point of no return. COP16 is a critical opportunity to act. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/amazon-fires-nature-cop16/

Chicago

González, Kirsten Schuijt, Maria Susana Muhamad. The Amazon is close to the point of no return. COP16 is a critical opportunity to act. World Economic Forum, 2024. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/amazon-fires-nature-cop16/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=González |first1=Kirsten Schuijt, Maria Susana Muhamad |title=The Amazon is close to the point of no return. COP16 is a critical opportunity to act |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=11 October 2024 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/amazon-fires-nature-cop16/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{gonzlez2024amazon, author = {González, Kirsten Schuijt, Maria Susana Muhamad}, title = {{The Amazon is close to the point of no return. COP16 is a critical opportunity to act}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/amazon-fires-nature-cop16/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }