The host country of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Colombia, selected “Peace with nature” as the theme of the meeting. Peace with nature is of the utmost relevance for all regions, and its achievement is not just an environmental necessity but a socioeconomic imperative. Biodiversity underpins ecosystem services that are vital for human survival, economic prosperity and social well-being. Peace with nature requires just and transformative changes in economic, social and governance systems.