Countries are expected to submit those national biodiversity plans, known as NBSAPs, by the start of the Cali summit that runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. Delegates will use the submissions to gauge how much progress has been made since the COP15 summit in 2022 and what needs to be prioritized going forward.

During this month's U.N. Biodiversity Summit, known as COP16, in the Colombian city of Cali, nearly 200 countries will be debating how they can save nature from the current rapid rate of destruction.