Written by: Kaylene Leong
Date: 22/01/2024
There was much discussion regarding COP27, held in November 2022, as well as COP28 held in November 2023, however there was not nearly as much recognition for COP15, held in December 2022 in Montreal, Canada. Both summits are of incredible importance and tackle increasingly urgent issues. The importance of COP15 cannot be understated as it covers a large amount of our ecosystems which are crucial for our survival.
What is the difference between COP15 and COP27?
COP27 solely focuses on solving the issue of climate change and occurs annually, (other than in 2020, due to the unforeseen circumstances of Covid-19) as this has become a regulation since the first UN climate agreement in 1992. In contrast to COP27, COP15 is the United Nations Biodiversity Conference which focuses on tackling biodiversity issues and occurs every two years(1).
COP15
The main objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity are the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of genetic resources(2). Examples of protocols and plans which have been created by the United Nations Biodiversity Conference include the Cartagena Protocol, the Nagoya Protocol, and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.
COP15 recently ended in December 2022 with approximately 195 countries joining the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework(3). This framework contains 4 global goals and 23 targets which aim to help conserve biodiversity. One of the more notable targets is the 30x30 target, which is centred around protecting and conserving at least 30% of land and ocean by 2030. This can be seen in Target 3 and Target 4, which aim for effective restoration of 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, as well as effective conservation and management of 30% of land of oceans by 2030(4).
Other notable targets include Target 22, which aims to have equitable representation and participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities.Furthermore,Target 23 aims to ensure gender equality when implementing the framework(5).
Issues with COP15
Despite the landmark agreement and goals set at COP15, this is arguably a tale as old as time. If we were to look back at the Aichi biodiversity targets, a 10-year plan which was created in 2010 with 20 targets focused on protecting and conserving the environment, we see that as of 2020 none of the targets have been fully achieved and most were only partially achieved(6), meaning that biodiversity continues to degrade every year.
This begs the question: What makes this time any different? What makes countries think that they can achieve the 30x30 goal? None of these goals or targets are legally binding on the signatories, therefore there is arguably no significant pressure to achieve these goals. A system must be created where there are actual legal or economic consequences for failure, in order to achieve these goals, because currently the only consequence seems to be the continuous destruction of our planet. Although, even this has failed to incentivize countries to fulfil the Aichi targets.There is undoubtedly ambition, but there may not be the ability or drive to succeed with these new goals set out by COP15.
What now?
Although previous summits may not have had the intended effect, COP15’s impact can arguably begin to be seen. The United Nations High Seas Treaty was agreed in March 2023, only 3 months after COP15. Negotiations for this treaty have been ongoing for almost two decades, and governments all over the world have finally reached an agreement to help protect High Seas marine life. This treaty aims to create a legal framework to establish marine protected areas in international waters to prevent the loss of wildlife. It also aims to establish a procedure for managing returns from the genetic resources of the high seas, as well as a conference to meet periodically, ensuring the treaty’s implementation(7). This treaty will be crucial for enforcing the 30x30 target from COP15.
Other initiatives that have been established to accomplish the goals created at COP15 include the United Kingdom’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, which focuses on restoring wildlife habitats, boosting green growth, and improving air quality alongside other aims(8). As of 2022, the UN says up to 40% of the world’s land is now degraded(9), and according to studies it is estimated that nearly 13 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year(10). The IUCN’s Red List includes 150,388 species, and 42,108 of those are threatened with extinction(11). The goals must be met by the deadline set in 2030, otherwise certain species and habitats may not reach this point in time themselves.
Overall, biodiversity is incredibly important not just from a survival perspective but also an intrinsic one. With the next biodiversity COP (COP16) set to be held later this year(12), countries and governments must maintain the investment of a certain level of effort into saving the environment and biodiversity.
Citations
1.) UN Environmental Programme, ‘Conference of the Parties (COP)’ (www.cbd.int) <https://www.cbd.int/cop/#:~:text=Since%20then%20these%20meetings%20have>.
2.) Aruna Chandrasekhar and others, ‘COP15: Key Outcomes Agreed at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal’ (Carbon Brief20 December 2022) <https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop15-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-biodiversity-conference-in-montreal/> accessed 26 October 2023.
3.) UN Environmental Programme, ‘Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’ (www.cbd.int23 February 2023) <https://www.cbd.int/gbf/>.
4.) Carbon Brief , ‘COP15: Key Outcomes Agreed at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal’ (Carbon Brief20 December 2022) <https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop15-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-biodiversity-conference-in-montreal/>.
5.) Aruna Chandrasekhar and others, ‘COP15: Key Outcomes Agreed at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal’ (Carbon Brief20 December 2022) <https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop15-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-biodiversity-conference-in-montreal/> accessed 26 October 2023.
6.) Olivia Lai, ‘What Are the Aichi Biodiversity Targets?’ (Earth.Org - Past | Present | Future11 October 2021) <https://earth.org/what-are-the-aichi-biodiversity-targets/> accessed 26 October 2023.
7.) Karen McVeigh, ‘High Seas Treaty: Historic Deal to Protect International Waters Finally Reached at UN’ The Guardian (5 March 2023) <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/05/high-seas-treaty-agreement-to-protect-international-waters-finally-reached-at-un> accessed 26 October 2023.
8.) ‘Environmental Improvement Plan 2023’ (GOV.UK31 January 2023) <https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-improvement-plan> accessed 26 October 2023.
9.) Fiona Harvey, ‘UN Says up to 40% of World’s Land Now Degraded’ (The Guardian27 April 2022) <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/27/united-nations-40-per-cent-planet-land-degraded> accessed 26 October 2023.
10.) Alejandro Lopez Lamia, ‘Earth Day 2022: A Sea of Plastics, an Ocean of Tears’ (Ciudades Sostenibles22 April 2022) <https://blogs.iadb.org/ciudades-sostenibles/en/earth-day-2022-sea-plastics-ocean-garbage-patch/#:~:text=According%20to%20studies%20conducted%20by>.
11.) IUCN, ‘Human Activity Devastating Marine Species from Mammals to Corals - IUCN Red List’ (IUCN9 December 2022) <https://www.iucn.org/press-release/202212/human-activity-devastating-marine-species-mammals-corals-iucn-red-list>.
12.) UN Environmental Programme, ‘Colombia Will Host the next United Nations Biodiversity Conference’ (Convention on Biological Diversity) <https://www.cbd.int/article/colombia-host-cop16> accessed 18 January 2024.
Comments