The COP-15 Biodiversity Conference is being held now in Montreal, Canada, from December 8-19, 2022 where representatives from 192 countries are focusing on defining a framework for preserving world biodiversity. Negotiators say about 900 so-called “brackets”- points that haven’t yet been agreed on – remain in the draft text. The conference is being chaired by China.

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NATURE COP15

So did you know about the COP 15 Conference on Preserving Biodiversity? Lucy credits Catherine for keeping her informed on this important biodiversity conference. The wildlife photos in this blog have been taken by Lucy.

At the main website undp.org (UN Development Programme) UN Biodiversity Conference is this opening statement :

“Despite ongoing efforts, biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide, and this decline is projected to worsen with business-as-usual. The loss of biodiversity comes at a great cost for human well-being and the global economy. The UN Biodiversity Conference is the most significant conference on biodiversity in a decade. It will see the adoption of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The framework provides a strategic vision and a global roadmap for the conservation, protection, restoration and sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems for the next decade.”

“What needs to happen at COP 15:

• Adoption of an equitable and comprehensive framework matched by the resources needed for implementation
• Clear targets to address overexploitation, pollution, fragmentation and unsustainable agricultural practices
• A plan that safeguards the rights of indigenous peoples and recognizes their contributions as stewards of nature
• Finance for biodiversity and alignment of financial flows with nature to drive finances toward sustainable investments and away from environmentally harmful ones”

https://www.unep.org/un-biodiversity-conference-cop-15

These actions also help us protect the global climate, and protect us from the effects of climate change. As the architects of the Paris Agreement have said, “There is no pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5C without action on protecting and restoring nature.”

COP15 – A PARIS MOMENT FOR BIODIVERSITY?

Posted on Wednesday 7 December 2022 by Greens/EFA (Environmental representatives of the European Government): An Interview with MEPs of Finland, Ville Niinistö and Jutta Paulus of Germany

Why the COP15 in Montréal must deliver a New Deal For Nature:

“From 7 to 19 December, governments from around the world are gathering in Montréal, Canada, for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity – also known as COP15. Our MEPs, Ville Niinistö (Finland) and Jutta Paulus (Germany), argue that governments cannot waste this once-in-a-decade opportunity to advance the protection and restoration of nature worldwide. They need to strike a New Deal For Nature now.”

No climate protection without nature

“Our nature is in crisis. We have lost a third of the Earth’s wetlands and half of all corals – and we continue to destroy natural forests at an alarming rate. A million species are in danger of extinction. In fact, scientists believe that we are living through the sixte mass extinction, and the first mass extinction since humans occupied the Earth.” 

“But healthy ecosystems are just as important as a stable climate. They provide us with food and fresh water, protect us from disasters and disease, and form the basis of our economy. Oceans, forests and peat bogs also play a vital role in regulating the global climate. They absorb carbon emissions and shield us from extreme weather events linked to climate change. But they can only do that when they are in good health.”

At COP15 in Montréal: We Need a New Deal For the Nature

“The most important task for the COP15 Montréal conference is to hash out a new Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) that will guide actions to protect biodiversity until 2030. This framework must be for nature what the Paris Agreement is for the climate – a clear guide to common action by governments around the world. The framework should include a range of numerical, measurable targets, such as the robust protection of at least 30 percent of the world’s land, freshwater and oceans by 2030, and global targets for nature restoration.”

A strong plan to implement biodiversity protections

“It is not the first time that governments set themselves targets on the protection of nature. But so far, they have failed to effectively reach those targets. None of the 2020 targets, the so-called Aichi targets agreed in Japan in 2010, have been fully achieved.”

“Even when they were partly reached, such as the designation of protected areas, they were not always effective in protecting wildlife. Countries have established “paper parks” without sufficient connectivity, adequate management and equitable governance.”

“That is why a solid implementation plan is just as important as well-defined targets. At COP15, parties must agree on an implementation mechanism alongside the global framework. Steps such as planning, monitoring and reporting, as well as reviewing and ratcheting up of action, must be clear from the start. They must also agree on a calendar for taking those steps.”

“Parties must be able to begin to implement the framework immediately by setting national targets and updating their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).”

“Sufficient finance is critical to achieve implementation. Money should mainly come from public sources and be redirected from harmful subsidies paid out today. Public investments in biodiversity conservation and restoration make little sense if they are outpaced by investments in nature destruction.”

No deal at COP15 without Indigenous Peoples and local communities

“The effective protection of 30 percent of the world’s land, freshwater and oceans by 2030 will not be possible without the full inclusion of and leadership from Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs).”

“Generations of Indigenous peoples and local communities have effectively protected nature, and used it in a truly sustainable way. They are nature’s best guardians. Lands owned by these communities cover at least a third of all land on Earth, including particularly valuable, nature-rich areas, and they are generally in a good state.”

“Today, 80 percent of remaining biodiversity is in the lands, waters and territories of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. If we want to mend our broken relationship with nature, we must learn from nature’s long-standing allies and support their efforts to protect, defend and restore their lands and waters.”

“The protection of nature begins with the protection of the Indigenous peoples’ rights, livelihoods and cultures. At COP15, their voices must be at the centre of decision making, management and funding for nature protection.”

https://tinyurl.com/yc59ct7b

According to CBC News on December 11, 2022, “There is a significant Indigenous presence on the ground, with at least 497 of the 15,723 people registered to attend the summit representing Indigenous nations or organizations. A concern is that none of those Indigenous nations have decision-making status.”We always have to have this sponsor to speak for us. It’s as if we are children,” said Jennifer Corpuz, who is a representative for the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity at COP15.”

https://tinyurl.com/55yp32x5

Financial institutions have a role to play in preserving biodiversity:

“Canada’s negotiators at the COP15 conference say business groups and financial institutions have a role to play in preserving the planet’s biodiversity. Basile van Havre, co-chair of one of the Montreal conference’s working groups, says the private sector is looking for rules and certainty on the environmental effectiveness of its investments. He says it’s part of a larger push for performance standards that companies and investors can use to measure their activities against.  Van Havre says business groups have learned from climate change discussions that they need a way to assess risks. “They want measures of risk so that they can target their investment the right way,” van Havre said.”

“Although there is broad support for the overall goals at the conference, consensus remains elusive.”

The Canadian Press  
Published Thursday, December 8, 2022

https://tinyurl.com/2s3e75pw

CBC What on Earth

For more reading on COP15 and how it is different from COP 27 please check out CBC-What On Earth: What is COP15? Why does it matter and what’s at stake at the summit.

“COP, in United Nations jargon, simply means Conference of Parties. It is a decision-making body made up of countries that have signed a convention. COP15 is different from the climate change summit, COP27, which was recently held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. That conference was under the umbrella of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.” 

“The Montreal summit, COP15, is a meeting under the Convention on Biological Diversity. In 1992, 150 government leaders first signed that convention at the Rio Earth Summit. While biodiversity and climate change are related issues, the two conventions are separate.” 

“This meeting marks the second part of COP15; the first part was held last year as a mostly virtual conference based in Kunming, China. “

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-is-cop15-biodiversity-summit-1.6673003

We will be looking forward to hearing the outcome of the conference, and future plans for saving the biodiversity of Mother Earth.