Uncovered: "Cali Fund" for conservation remains empty, emails indicate industry's reluctance
The Cali Fund, established in 2024 as a global mechanism to facilitate benefit sharing from the use of genetic data, remains largely empty and unfunded as of August 2025. Officially opened during the resumed COP16 biodiversity negotiations in February 2025, no major contributions have materialized yet.
The fund is intended for companies in sectors like pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and biotechnology to voluntarily share a portion of their earnings derived from genetic resources with developing biodiverse countries. However, regarding the stances of major pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca and GSK, there is no specific public record or mention of either AstraZeneca or GSK having committed to contributing to the Cali Fund as of mid-2025.
Emails released to Carbon Brief show that AstraZeneca did not take up an offer from a UK government department to be a "frontrunner" in committing to donate to the fund. Similarly, GSK also did not confirm its position regarding the Cali Fund. The fund operates on voluntary contributions, and while there has been positive feedback and engagement from companies broadly, contributions remain minimal.
One US biotechnology company, Ginkgo Bioworks, has pledged to contribute to the fund in the future, but the fund remains empty for now. The ABPI, a UK pharmaceutical trade group, has expressed concerns about the Cali Fund, fearing it could hinder research and innovation.
The Cali Fund's effectiveness and financial viability depend on wider and more decisive industry participation, which has yet to emerge substantially by August 2025. The ABPI believes the Cali Fund is unlikely to attract significant contributors due to features such as the non-voluntary nature of donations.
The "Cali Fund" was created under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the COP16 nature negotiations in Cali, Colombia last autumn. The fund is designed to be a way for companies who rely on nature's genetic resources to share some of their earnings with the developing, biodiverse countries where many of the original resources are found.
According to a 2024 analysis, the Cali Fund could potentially generate between $1 billion and $10 billion annually. At least half of the money raised by the Cali Fund will go towards meeting the "self-identified" needs of Indigenous communities in developing countries, particularly women and young people.
A decision-making body and a steering committee have been set up for the Cali Fund. The UK and Chile recently launched the "friends of the Cali Fund" group, which brings together governments and businesses to champion benefits sharing. Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, and Colombia have also joined this group.
As the Cali Fund awaits significant contributions, it remains to be seen whether the pharmaceutical industry will embrace this initiative as a responsible and ethical approach to sharing the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources.
[1] Carbon Brief, (2025), AstraZeneca turns down offer to be 'frontrunner' in donating to the Cali Fund, [online] Available at: https://www.carbonbrief.org/astrazeneca-turns-down-offer-to-be-frontrunner-in-donating-to-the-cali-fund
[3] The Guardian, (2025), The Cali Fund: a new global fund to share profits from genetic data, [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/06/the-cali-fund-a-new-global-fund-to-share-profits-from-genetic-data
[5] Nature, (2025), Pharmaceutical companies hesitate to contribute to the Cali Fund, [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02019-x
- Despite the establishment of the Cali Fund in 2024, as of mid-2025, no major contributions have been made, with no specific public record of AstraZeneca or GSK committing to donate.
- Emails from Carbon Brief reveal that AstraZeneca declined an offer to be a frontrunner in donating to the Cali Fund, with GSK also not confirming its position regarding the fund.
- The fund's effectiveness and financial viability depend on wider industry participation, but contributions remain minimal, with one US biotechnology company, Ginkgo Bioworks, being the only known pledger as of August 2025.
- The ABPI, a UK pharmaceutical trade group, has expressed concerns about the Cali Fund, fearing it could hinder research and innovation, potentially discouraging significant contributors from the industry.
