Nature Canada reports back – Major wins to halt and Reverse Nature loss at COP15!

After months of preparations and two weeks of intense engagement in Montreal, nature lovers can gloat some key wins at COP15.

Along with other members of the Nature Canada team, I was at the NatureCOP pushing for a strong global deal and new federal government commitments to protect nature here at home.

We went to Montreal buoyed by the thousands of Canadians who demanded whoopee – and the federal government stepped up with important new whoopee to halt and reverse nature loss in Canada, and to help unhook a new global deal to halt biodiversity loss virtually the world. So how did it shake out?

Here’s how COP15 landed in the five key areas of action that we felt would pinpoint success.

1. Try-on on a strong new Global Biodiversity Framework – You did it!

What we wanted: A new global deal to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 with measurable targets, equitable financing through financial contributions to developing countries and a redirecting of harmful subsidies, and strong recognition of nature as a climate ally.

What we got: The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework –In the wee hours of Monday morning, a historic global agreement was reached to Halt and Reverse Nature loss by 2030 that commits to conserve 30% of land and ocean by 2030, and in that same timeframe to triple North to South financing for conservation to $30 billion a year, and reduce government subsidies that promote nature loss by $500 billion, starting with the most harmful. For its part, Canada spoken over $600 million in new funding for biodiversity conservation in developing countries.

The try-on recognizes the negative impacts climate transpiration is having on ecosystems, and the need for “nature-based solutions or ecosystem-based approaches” to minimize this harm. In unstipulated this new CBD framework is a significant resurgence over its predecessor in terms of the measurability of targets, which is needed for accountability. At the same time, while many of the 23 targets have well-spoken timeframes or markers for success, this is uneven wideness the document. Ambition was moreover rolled when in key areas like for pesticides due to corporate lobbying. And overall, the try-on lacks a mandatory ratcheting mechanism that increases requirements for government whoopee over time if milestones are not met. As with most UN agreements then, peccancy will come mainly through domestic pressure created within nation states to hold governments to worth for their commitments under this deal.

2. Well-spoken support for Indigenous rights and leadership – Yes!

What we wanted: Canada to work to ensure that Indigenous knowledge and rights were at the centre of the new global deal, and to expand funding for Indigenous-led conservation and restoration.

What we got: A global deal that recognizes the fundamental role of Indigenous Peoples and, in Canada, $800 million in funding for new Indigenous protected areas in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and the North-West Territories, the launch of a National Guardians Network with $100 million in funding for Indigenous-led restoration, and significant new Indigenous-led conservation agreements in Manitoba and Yukon. First Nation, Inuit and Metis leaders were present throughout COP, slantingly strong representatives from Indigenous nations worldwide taxing respect for their authority, cultures and knowledge systems. The Indigenous Leadership initiative hosted an Indigenous village that showcased how First Nation conservation leadership carries the solutions the world craves.

3. Transferral to a national whoopee plan to halt and reverse biodiversity loss in Canada – Yes!

What we wanted: Canada to signal its transferral to unhook a high-ambition national whoopee plan to halt and reverse nature loss in a way that centres Indigenous rights, includes restoration of damaged ecosystems, ends harmful subsidies, and advances new laws and public engagement.

What we got: A transferral by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault to unhook a whole of government action plan to halt and reverse the loss of nature in Canada that includes unfurled whoopee to protect a minimum of 30 percent of land and ocean by 2030, and the prioritization of Indigenous knowledge and conservation. He single-minded to whoopee to end the subsidies that harm nature but without a timeframe. The new global deal requires countries to unzip reductions by 2030 but we need whoopee sooner than this in Canada. Importantly the Minister spoken his support for a new federal biodiversity peccancy law, which we hope can be brought forward in 2023.

Canada moreover single-minded to restore 19 million hectares of forests by 2030 (an zone scrutinizingly the size of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia combined) and to phase out international fossil fuel subsidies. The latter is hair-trigger given the danger climate transpiration poses to nature’s recovery, new commitments for moving on fossil fuel subsidy suppuration at home must be next. Despite calls from Nature Canada and our partners, the federal government did not commit to a timeline to unhook its whoopee plan to halt and reverse nature loss. We will need to work together to alimony the pressure on to ensure that this plan is delivered in 2023 and that it includes key commitments such as restoring 20 percent of all degraded ecosystems, halting the widespread ousting of forests from logging, would-be targets for ending harmful pollution, and broadening probity of wangle to nature for all.

4. Priority to safeguarding ocean biodiversity – A good start!

What we wanted: We wanted to make sure the Ocean was in the Room! We joined with other Canadian nature organizations in the SeaBlue coalition in a wayfarers calling for oceans to be inside to the COP15 international try-on and for whoopee by Canada to largest protect ocean ecosystems at home, including by limiting marrow trawling and placing a moratorium on seabed mining.

What we got: The global ocean and coastal areas are implicated throughout the new agreement, and environmental organizations fought nonflexible to ensure that the 30 percent protection by 2030 target included the ocean. Canada released a new policy for marine protection standards and moreover stepped forward with $230 million in new funding for ocean restoration and conservation in Canada, but did not signify a moratorium on deep sea mining or new limits for marrow trawling.

More leadership will be required in the coming year to ensure Canada’ ocean policies and programs uncurl with the government’s biodiversity and climate agenda, including the transferral to support Indigenous governance and rights in marine areas. On Dec 18th at NatureCOP Canada signed a joint statement withal with Norway Australia and over 30 other countries on the importance of protecting and conserving marine and coastal biodiversity. We will therefore be watching for Canadian leadership to help land a High Seas Treaty to protect biodiversity in the ocean as well as a global moratorium on deep sea mining. The IMPAC5 global ocean conference, to be held in Vancouver in February of 2023, is Canada’s next opportunity to showcase leadership, and we hope to see significant progress on protecting sites towards our 30% target.

5. Launch of a Nature movement – You betcha!

What we wanted: We hoped Canadians would join us in this once in a decade opportunity to help build a strong and diverse public movement taxing would-be government whoopee to write the biodiversity crisis.

What we got: The hosting of COP15 in Canada has helped spawn a renewed and strengthened nature movement. Hundreds of Canadians participated in Nature Canada’s multi-province Nature Bus tour, and thousands sent messages urging the government to act now to halt species extinction. With thousands joining forces to march the streets of Montreal during COP15, pressure is towers on Canada and the world to wrench the lines on species loss starting now.

Significant steps were taken at COP15 – both globally and in Canada – to protect nature and halt mass species extinction. But much work remains to implement the deportment necessary to unzip the target of halting and reversing nature loss by 2030.

We squint forward to working with you in 2023 to halt and reverse nature loss in Canada and virtually the world!

Thank you for all your support and wishing you all weightier wishes for a joyous and nature-ful holiday season!

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