It’s a triple COP year: What that means and why it matters for business leaders

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🗞️ Driving the news: In 2024, three major UN climate conferences – COP16 on biodiversity, COP29 on climate, and COP16 on desertification – will tackle interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation
• This "triple COP" year presents a unique chance for deeper coordination across sectors to drive global environmental action
• These summits aim to align efforts under the original "Rio Conventions" established in 1992 to address these linked issues

🔭 The context: The triple COPs highlight the synergies between land, climate, and biodiversity policies, emphasizing that actions in one area can positively impact the others
• Previous summits, such as COP21, resulted in landmark agreements like the Paris Agreement, setting the stage for ongoing international climate commitments
• This year's conferences are seen as an opportunity to reinforce comprehensive strategies that avoid isolated actions in favor of holistic approaches

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: With global warming targets becoming harder to meet and biodiversity under threat, integrating efforts to protect land, reduce emissions, and conserve wildlife is essential
• This coordinated approach can accelerate progress on pressing environmental issues, creating a more sustainable and resilient future

⏭️ What's next: COP16 on biodiversity starts in October in Colombia, followed by COP29 on climate in November in Azerbaijan, and COP16 on desertification in December in Saudi Arabia
• These events are expected to push for new financing commitments, stronger policies, and greater private sector engagement

💬 One quote: "You cannot just solve the issue of biodiversity or climate alone...you have to have a very coherent view" – Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification

📈 One stat: Global public debt has surpassed $100 trillion, influencing some countries' climate investment strategies

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