COP15: Facing the Decline of Biodiversity
Photo by Author, Christelle Davis
Christelle Davis, Volunteer Content Contributor
(Translated from French)
From December 7th to 19th, Montreal hosted more than 190 countries as part of the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. It ended with the signing of the Kunming-Montreal agreement. Drawing from lessons of the bitter failure of the previous ten-year plan on biodiversity, signed in Japan in 2010, this agreement defines an ambitious roadmap in several respects.
A Tight Deadline
The States have committed themselves to achieving the objectives of the agreement by 2030. It is true that the current situation is alarming: 75% of the world's ecosystems are altered by human activity and more than one million species are threatened with extinction. The prosperity of the world is also at stake since more than half of the world's GDP depends on nature and its services.
Monitoring of Objectives and Accountability
Focused on the protection of nature and the means to put an end to the depletion of biodiversity around the world, the agreement sets 23 objectives to achieve and signatory countries must:
Create protected areas on 30% of the planet, knowing that to date, only 17% of the land and 8% of the seas are protected;
Restore 30% of terrestrial and marine ecosystems;
Halve the risks associated with pesticides and dangerous chemicals;
Halve global food waste and reduce the global footprint of consumption.
Like most international conventions, this agreement is not accompanied by sanctions for states that are negligent in putting in place the measures required to achieve the set goals. However, unlike the 2010 ten-year plan, it has the basis to provide a follow-up mechanism under which the signatory countries will have to:
Publish their biodiversity plans by COP15 in 2024 and take stock of them in 2026;
Take steps to ensure that large companies and financial institutions monitor and disclose the impact of their activities on nature.
Photo: Pascal Ingelrest
Increased Funding
To compensate for the financial effort required to apply the agreement, developed countries have pledged to provide developing countries with at least $20 billion in annual aid by 2025 and $30 billion by 2030.
The states also plan to raise US$20 billion in annual aid by 2025 and US$30 billion by 2030. They also plan to raise $200 billion for biodiversity from public, private and philanthropic sources by 2030.
A global system for sharing the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources will also be put in place. In particular, it will make it possible to redress the injustice experienced by developing countries, in the face of the profits made by developed countries on the sale of drugs or cosmetic products derived from their biological resources.
The Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Inclusion
Under this agreement, the signatory countries must ensure that Indigenous populations are considered guardians of 80% of the remaining diversity on Earth, and local communities are included in decision-making related to the implementation of the agreement. Respect for their cultures, their land rights and their traditional knowledge is essential.
At a time when the consequences of climate change are becoming more and more perceptible on all parts of the globe, the COP15 on biodiversity comes in support of the COP27 on climate which was held in Egypt last November. These two themes are indeed interconnected: global warming exerts significant pressure on biodiversity and even affects the economy, as evidenced by the decline in maple syrup production in North America. Conversely, the preservation of forests, wetlands and oceans will make it possible to maintain the world's capacity to absorb carbon emissions and thus fight against the greenhouse gas effect.
References
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Euronews, À la COP15 de Montréal un accord historique en faveur de la biodiversité, 19 décembre 2022, consulté le 12 janvier 2023 sur https://fr.euronews.com/2022/12/19/a-la-cop15-de-montreal-un-accord-historique-en-faveur-de-la-biodiversite
Le Canada Français, Points saillants du Cadre mondial de Kunming-Montréal, négocié à la COP15, 19 décembre 2022, consulté le 12 janvier 2023 sur https://www.canadafrancais.com/nouvelles-nationales/points-saillants-du-cadre-mondial-de-kunming-montreal-negocie-a-la-cop15/
MOUTERDE, Perrine, COP15 : à Montréal, des engagements historiques pour la biodiversité, Le Monde, 19 décembre 2022, consulté le 12 janvier 2023 sur https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2022/12/19/cop15-a-montreal-des-engagements-historiques-pour-la-biodiversite_6155018_3244.html
Programme de l’environnement de l’ONU, La COP15 se termine par un accord historique sur la biodiversité, 20 décembre 2022, consulté le 12 janvier 2023 sur https://www.unep.org/fr/actualites-et-recits/recit/la-cop15-se-termine-par-un-accord-historique-sur-la-biodiversite
RCI, Un accord historique et « ambitieux » sur la biodiversité adopté à la COP15 de Montréal, le 19 décembre 2022, consulté le 12 janvier 2023 sur https://ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/fr/nouvelle/1942394/cop15-biodiversite-accord-montreal-chine-nord-sud
Sud-Ouest, Biodiversité : que contient l’accord historique signé lors de la COP15 à Montréal ?, 19 décembre 2022, consulté le 12 janvier 2023 sur https://www.sudouest.fr/environnement/biodiversite/biodiversite-que-contient-l-accord-historique-signe-lors-de-la-cop15-a-montreal-13436527.php
20 Minutes, COP15 biodiversité : les principaux points de l’accord historique approuvé à Montréal, 20 décembre 2022, consulté le 12 janvier 2023 sur https://www.20minutes.fr/planete/4015448-20221219-cop15-biodiversite —principaux-points-accord-historique-approuve-montreal
