Why does my new iPhone 16 lack a charger?

It started 4 ½ years ago when iPhone 12 was released in September 2020. It was widely covered in print, online and broadcast. It was heralded as an advancement in reducing electronic waste. Every cellphone manufacturer followed suit within 6 months. A few countries and regions still required the packaging of chargers with mobile devices.

A few countries and

I believe that at some point, the European Union mandated that all phones sold there would need to support USB-C charging, whether or not they also supported charging by other means.

I am sure that helped to hasten the replacement of Lightning with USB-C. Also, since the EU's goal of this mandate was in part to cut down on e-waste, they are probably happy that Apple does not ship power bricks by default.

If your notebook computer is a Mac released in the last few years, it would have came with a USB-C power adapter. You could plug your iPhone's charging cable, or an Apple MagSafe Charger (1 m), into that adapter. (I have a 29W USB-C adapter that came with a 12" MacBook, and use it with a MagSafe charging pad just about every night.)

Charge and connect with the USB-C connector on your iPhone - Apple Support

My phone did come with a cable.

Personally, I think Apple should send a cable along. People often just buy a cheap one that could ruin their device. Like how often does the average person buy a new device? Every 3-4 years? Maybe longer? That doesn’t amount to a whole lot of cables (per user.)Besides they become kaputt after a while anyways, so it’s nice to have a few on hand.

I think the small electronic companies should stop sending cables along with everything. Speakers, earbuds, wristwatches, etc etc. Get these companies to stop sending their cheap short cables that you can’t use anywhere, and let Apple send us a good one every 3-4 years. Just my thoughts.

It isn't just Apple. Many other phones (Androids) and devices don't come with a power adapter. I recently purchased a Sonicare toothbrush and that didn't come with one either. With so many devices using similar power adapters these days, many people already have them for other devices and don't need another each time they buy a new device.

Buy 20W USB-C Power Adapter - Apple

or if you want to fast charge it with a MagSafe charge, 30W USB‑C Power Adapter - Apple

See: Fast charge your iPhone - Apple Support

Or you can buy a 3rd party power adapter. One company that sells them: https://www.anker.com/collections/for-iphone-and-more