16 Colombian universities have joined a global initiative led by Oxford University to curb nature loss.

The Nature Positive Universities Alliance, coordinated by the university, is a global network that unites higher education institutions from around the world.

They have all committed to advancing efforts to halt, prevent, and reverse nature loss by addressing their own impacts and restoring ecosystems harmed by their activities.

The alliance has rapidly expanded in two years to include more than 700 universities.

The group began in 2022 as a joint initiative between the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Oxford University.

The project was set up following research by the university's Department of Biology into its biodiversity footprint.

The purpose of the alliance is to involve universities in prioritising nature restoration within the higher education sector.

Through the initiative, 142 universities have already made an official pledge and started taking action to reduce their ecological footprints.

The universities make pledges that include four main elements: conducting baseline assessments, setting specific, time-limited, and measurable targets for nature, taking bold actions to reduce biodiversity impacts and protect species and ecosystems, and transparent annual reporting.

Emily Stott, co-ordinator of the alliance in the department, said: "As universities, we sit in the heart of our cities and have a unique power to shape the next generation of leaders, providing green skills to our students and influencing our communities and governments.

"By sharing best practice and addressing our own institutions' environmental impacts, universities can be powerful thought leaders while also directly contributing to restoring nature."

The effort is supported by a student ambassador programme, which has engaged more than 850 students from 50 countries.

The ambassadors champion nature-friendly actions on their campuses, using a toolkit of activities and attending monthly green skills workshops run by the alliance.

It has also inspired various actions by universities worldwide.

These include the 'Familial Forestry' intervention at Government Dungar College, Rajasthan, India, which has established nine public sapling nurseries, engaged two million families in 18,000 villages, and planted an estimated four million saplings.

Emilio Latorre, senior fellow of the Red Universitaria de Campus Sostenible (RUCAS) in Cali, said: "Universities in Cali and southwest Colombia have organised a series of seminars on biodiversity topics leading up to COP16 and will partner with the city's environmental committee, alongside NGOs, local government, schools, and the private sector, in a joint effort to fight biodiversity loss.

"This initiative will expand urban forests, ensure public access to green spaces, create wildlife corridors, and integrate nature into urban development, while involving citizens in local ecological monitoring."