Even if Montreal will host this year a world conference on biodiversity (COP15) which is crucial for the future of humanity, the success of this event is far from certain, warns the UN. And no head of state or government is expected at this summit to rescue a planet more than ever “in crisis”.
“The decline in biodiversity is currently reaching an unprecedented level in history. We estimate that 90% of ecosystems have been affected so far and more than a million species are threatened with extinction,” the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, dropped on Thursday. .
“Scientists are very clear: our planet is in crisis” and the situation “will get worse” over the next few years, she added, as part of a briefing to present the challenges of the next United Nations Conference on Biodiversity, better known as COP15. This will be held in Montreal from December 7 to 19.
In this context of steep decline of life, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema hopes that the negotiations of the 196 members of the CBD (195 States and the European Union, without the United States) lead to success. “It won’t be easy. It will take a lot of work and commitment, but the global framework for protecting biodiversity is crucial to securing the future of humanity on the planet,” she argued.
Challenges
Less than a month from COP15, and despite several rounds of meetings and negotiations, crucial issues have still not been resolved to reach a global agreement for better protection of biodiversity. This is the case with the objective of protecting 30% of natural terrestrial and marine environments by 2030, which has yet to be adopted. States must also agree on ways to restore ecosystems degraded by human activity, stem plastic pollution and reduce the risk posed by invasive species around the world.
The Montreal negotiations will also have to make progress in reducing subsidies for projects harmful to biodiversity, CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper argued on Thursday. “Most governments pay far more subsidies that destroy nature than subsidies to protect it. It will be critical to change this. »
The financial question will also be at the heart of the negotiations, as it is in the context of negotiations on climate issues, since developing countries “will need billions of dollars of support” to implement protective measures. , said Mr. Cooper.
Climate and biodiversity
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema and David Cooper also insisted on the growing link between the climate crisis and that of biodiversity. “Scientists have clearly shown us that climate change and biodiversity loss are connected. This is why we believe that the biodiversity framework can become the biodiversity equivalent of the Paris Climate Agreement,” said Ms.me Maruma Mrema.
“The so-called natural disasters that hit us stem from global warming, but also from the degradation of natural environments,” added Mr. Cooper. “The pandemic has also shown us the importance of protecting nature. People understand that there is something wrong with our relationship with nature, which increases the risks of a pandemic. And the more we destroy nature, the greater the risks for the emergence of new diseases. »
While CBD spokespersons repeatedly affirmed on Thursday that COP15 will be a major political meeting to guide countries’ decisions over the next few years, no Head of State or Government is expected in Montreal. “Traditionally, our conference of the parties took place at the level of ministers”, justified the executive secretary of the CBD.
Even if several dozen ministers from different governments will be on site, David Cooper invited the States to involve several ministries in the implementation of the measures necessary to slow down the erosion of biodiversity. “You have to involve several elements of the government, not just the minister of the environment,” he argued.