The COP15 Biodiversity Conference

Written By Canadian Environmental Network

Andrew Vanderleek, Volunteer Content Contributor

Thirty-five years ago, nations from around the world came together in Montreal, Quebec, to discuss the problem of the shrinking ozone layer (1). At the time, chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons were widely used in foams, aerosols, and refrigerants. Unfortunately, the overproduction of these chemicals had a nasty side effect – they were damaging Earth’s atmospheric shield against harmful radiation. Thankfully, if we acted quickly, the damage could be undone. After the Montreal Protocol was adopted in September 1987, it was soon ratified by all 197 countries. The world united to help repair the ozone layer.

I can’t help but be reminded of the Montreal Protocol as the world meets in Montreal once again – this time, for COP15. Today marks the beginning of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD)(2). With its origins at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the UN CBD brings together governments from around the globe to work towards three goals:

  1. To conserve biodiversity. Life on Earth depends on an unimaginable variety of organisms interacting in complex systems. Unfortunately, many experts agree that Earth is undergoing a major extinction event due to unsustainable human activity. If this biodiversity loss doesn’t slow down, we risk the failure of many significant ecological systems.

  2. The sustainable use of biodiversity components. Although most of decreasing biodiversity is due to habitat loss, overexploitation plays a big role too (3). Humans depend on Earth’s variety of organisms for food, shelter, clothing, medicine, and much more. This second goal aims to ensure that we do not overuse Earth’s biological resources.

  3. The equitable sharing of genetic resources. The third goal is quite interesting. Organismal genetic material (like DNA) is useful for research and product development, but these benefits can be unfairly distributed (4). Nobody owns the Earth’s biodiversity, so we should share in the benefits of its genetic diversity.

All three goals will be kept in mind as the world meets at COP15, but the major focus will be on protecting nature and halting biodiversity loss.

Photo by Palle Knudsen on Unsplash

A long-awaited sequel

The hosting of this international conference in Montreal has been described as a “landmark event” by Minister Steven Guilbeault and Minister Mélanie Joly (5). It’s an exciting opportunity for Canada, as COP15 was not originally meant to take place here (6). The event was planned to take place in Kunming, China, in 2020, but it was delayed four times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, China decided to hold a virtual event in October 2021, with the intent to hold a second, face-to-face event later. However, as pandemic restrictions remain in China, Canada stepped up to host the second part of COP15. This in-person portion of COP15 will hopefully include the completion and adoption of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (7).

The Post-2020 what now?

The Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework is a plan that has been in the works for over two years now. The framework was supposed to be completed in June this year, when the Open-ended Working Group met in Nairobi, Kenya. However, an extra meeting took place over the past few days to iron out the details (8). When it is complete, it will be adopted and ratified by all the countries who wish to take part. The framework covers a wide range of topics relating to biodiversity, with the lofty goal of “living in harmony with nature” by 2050. It includes 22 short-term targets for the next decade, and four long-term goals to be met by 2050 (6). For interested readers, the first draft of the framework can be found here, and in French here.

How is this different from last time?

This is not the first time that the UN CBD has come together to prevent biodiversity loss. In 2002, the CBD met in Johannesburg, South Africa, and committed to reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, with little success (9). Then in 2010, they met in Nagoya, Japan, and implemented the 20 Aichi headline targets with the same goal (10). Once again, these targets have not been well met. Twelve years later, the UN CBD is giving it another shot. However, there is some hope that this time will be more successful. The Post-2020 Framework is more outcome-oriented than before, with stricter and better-articulated goals (6). Third time’s the charm, they say.

Photo by daniel baylis on Unsplash

Looking back thirty-five years, the 1987 Montreal Protocol was a rare example of universal ratification with dramatic results (11). Usage of ozone-depleting substances worldwide has dropped by around 99% and the Earth’s protective layer is slowly replenishing (12). It was a global success and a reminder that when everyone comes together, change can happen. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called it “perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date.” Here's hoping that the results of COP15 Part Two are equally as impactful, as the world once again meets in the city of Montreal.

References

  1. Environment and Climate Change Canada. (2015, February 20). Ozone layer depletion: Montreal Protocol. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/international-affairs/partnerships-organizations/ozone-layer-depletion-montreal-convention.html

  2. Environment and Climate Change Canada. (2022, August 15). UN Biodiversity Conference: COP15 in Montréal. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/wildlife-plants-species/biodiversity/cop15.html

  3. The Royal Society. (n.d.). What is the human impact on biodiversity? https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/biodiversity/human-impact-on-biodiversity/

  4. Convention on Biological Diversity. (2015, June 9). About the Nagoya Protocol. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. https://www.cbd.int/abs/about/default.shtml/

  5. Environment and Climate Change Canada. (2022, June 22). Canada welcomes delegates to Montréal for biological diversity conference, COP15. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2022/06/canada-welcomes-delegates-to-montreal-for-biological-diversity-conference-cop15.html

  6. Mike Shanahan. (2022, December 1). COP15, the biggest biodiversity conference in a decade, explained. China Dialogue. https://chinadialogue.net/en/nature/11873-explainer-cop15-the-biggest-biodiversity-conference-in-a-decade/

  7. Convention on Biological Diversity. (n.d.). Update on the preparations for the UN Biodiversity Conference: China and Canada to Host a Two-Part Summit on Nature. Convention on Biological Diversity. https://www.cbd.int/article/new-dates-cop15-virtual-2021-facetoface-2022

  8. IISD’s SDG Knowledge Hub. (n.d.). Fifth Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. https://sdg.iisd.org:443/events/fifth-meeting-of-the-open-ended-working-group-on-the-post-2020-global-biodiversity-framework/

  9. Convention on Biological Diversity. (2006, December 14). International Day for Biological Diversity—22 May 2002. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. https://www.cbd.int/ibd/2002/

  10. Convention on Biological Diversity. (2020, September 18). Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/

  11. UN Environment. (2018, October 29). About Montreal Protocol. Ozonaction. http://www.unep.org/ozonaction/who-we-are/about-montreal-protocol

  12. UN Environment. (2021, September 15). Rebuilding the ozone layer: How the world came together for the ultimate repair job. UNEP. http://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/rebuilding-ozone-layer-how-world-came-together-ultimate-repair-job

Canadian Environmental Network
Previous

Does Urban Beekeeping Live Up to the Buzz?
Next

Canadian Youth Position on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework