Go Behind the Scenes at Ducks Unlimited Canada’s COP16 Biodiversity Webinar

Healthy wetlands, forests and grasslands yield abundant wildlife populations and maintain the balance we need to survive and thrive. By engaging in events like COP16 biodiversity discussions, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) works alongside international partners to advance policies and actions that protect these irreplaceable life-support systems.

At COP16 held in Cali, Columbia in 2024, leaders recognized the need to maintain and restore biodiversity. Doing so isn’t just about preserving species for their own sake—it’s about maintaining the services that ecosystems provide. From pollination and flood control to water filtration and soil stabilization, biodiversity ensures our world remains livable, productive and resilient.

Why is biodiversity important?

Biodiversity is the foundation that ensures healthy ecosystems and a stable climate, providing critical natural services like clean water, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation. This complex web of life underpins the availability of resources we all rely on—food, water, and shelter—and supports the resilience of natural systems to withstand environmental changes.

Hear from our experts

James Paterson, a research scientist with DUC’s Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research and Gia Paola, DUC’s national policy analyst, spoke about their participation in COP16.

James and Gia reflected on the importance of biodiversity work globally having had the unique experience of engaging with biodiversity policy and research while encountering the incredible biodiversity of Columbia from orchids and warblers to millipedes and geckos! The webinar offered insight and advice to youth and all those looking to get involved in the biodiversity conversation!

COP16 Biodiversity Webinar: Key takeaways from Ducks Unlimited Canada

Our Ducks Unlimited Canada webinar, Biodiversity in Focus: Reflections on DUC’s COP16 Experience, was an opportunity to discuss this question and why participating in international events such as Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) is crucial for advancing conservation. The webinar invited attendees, youth and early-career professionals, to hear first-hand about the workings of COP16 including policy negotiations, cultural events, and youth involvement on the global stage.

Watch the full biodiversity webinar here: Reflections on DUC’s COP16 Experience

Youth biodiversity involvement: Shaping global policy

Young people have a crucial role in safeguarding biodiversity, engaging in conversations about environmental policy, and championing conservation careers. By involving youth in policy-making processes, we ensure that fresh perspectives guide actions to protect the natural wealth we depend on. Through shared knowledge and innovative solutions, youth drive the development of stronger frameworks that will influence the future of international biodiversity conservation.

Looking to stay engaged in the biodiversity conversation? Check out these resources to get involved!      

Biodiversity protection starts at home. Join local naturalist clubs, climate action networks, or invasive species councils. Every positive effort you make—planting native species, restoring habitat, or simply learning about local wildlife—contributes to a larger global movement protecting the life-supporting systems we all depend on. 

🦆 Explore Ducks Unlimited Canada’s biodiversity work  

• Delve into biodiversity and why it matters with Ducks Unlimited Canada.  
• Explore what makes wetlands biodiversity hotspots and read about Ducks Unlimited Canada’s conservation efforts through a biodiversity lens.   
• Learn about the different COPs and how international environmental treaties work.  
• From this year’s COP16, Ducks Unlimited Canada has echoed Wetlands International’s call for bold action on water and wetlands.   
• Keep up with the Ducks Unlimited Canada Youth Conservation Network to hear about conservation opportunities, events, and highlights from across Canada.  

📖 Resources to Deepen Your Knowledge About Biodiversity 

• Check out Youth4Nature’s GBF graphic novel, explaining the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework for young audiences.  
• Explore the Convention on Biological Diversity through the Global Youth Biodiversity Network’s CBD in a Nutshell: A Guide to the CBD Process.  
• Read the Global Youth Biodiversity Network Youth Positions from COP16 to better understand youth biodiversity priorities.  
• Listen to Youth leads with the Environmental Nature Nexus present the Global Biodiversity Child Declaration.  
• Read about Indigenous conservation efforts and the historic decision to establish a permanent subsidiary body for Indigenous Peoples. To better understand why this step is so important, learn more about the role of Indigenous Peoples’ Guardianship in protecting biodiversity.  
• Listen to another account of COP16 from the Outrage + Optimism podcast: COP16: Making Peace With Nature?   
• You can learn more about what makes water and wetlands so vitally important for biodiversity by reading Wetlands Internationals letter signed by 140 organizations and experts. 

🛠️ Take Action in Your Community  

• Get involved with the Global Youth Biodiversity network through the Canadian Youth Biodiversity Network.  
• Look out for upcoming youth and student events with the Centre for Global Education, Education Nature Nexus and Youth4Nature .  
• You can follow the Canadian Environmental Network’s Biodiversity Caucus to stay informed on biodiversity policy and get involved in engagement opportunities.