COP15 | The arrival of ministers breathes new life into

The “high-level” discussions at COP15 began Thursday at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal. And it was Chinese President Xi Jinping who gave the starting signal for these four days of intense negotiations to finalize a new global framework for biodiversity.

More than 100 ministers representing as many countries have arrived in Montreal in recent days for the “high-level segment”, which began on Thursday and where the political issues of a possible agreement on a global framework for biodiversity are discussed.

The appearance of the ministers “completely changed the atmosphere,” said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, at the end of the day.

This “positive atmosphere” should help overcome remaining disagreements both on the ambition of the goals and on how to achieve them, added UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed.

“The means necessary for the establishment must be there, that’s where the tensions are”, she indicated, recalling that there is little time left to finalize the key agreements for the adoption of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

“Unprecedented” mobilization

Amina J. Mohammed was also thrilled by the general mobilization towards biodiversity that she observes in Montreal and that she describes as unprecedented.

Earlier Thursday, during a plenary session chaired by China’s Environment Minister Huang Runqiu, President Xi Jinping addressed delegates and ministers in attendance via video conference. “We need to build a global consensus for biodiversity,” he said in a speech in Mandarin.

“We must encourage development to protect biodiversity. […] We need to work together to ensure a better future for all,” he added.

“We need to review our ways of producing, consuming and moving around,” said UN General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi.

“We must live in harmony with nature and not try to dominate it,” said the Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault.

“Quebec responds present”

For his part, the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, said he hoped that COP15 would become a historic moment. “I wish that in the history books, we could talk about a Montreal moment. »

“Biodiversity has not been given the importance it should have been given,” admitted the Prime Minister in his address to the delegates.

“Quebec is responding and I hope everyone will do the same,” said Mr. Legault, who also took the opportunity to recall that his government was going to table a bill at the next parliamentary session. to set up the Blue Fund, with planned financing of 650 million.

Remember, however, that the creation of the Blue Fund is a promise of the last election campaign of the Coalition avenir Québec. It would be financed, among other things, by increasing royalties from industries that draw water on Quebec territory.

On Twitter, Mr. Legault’s announcement was described as “recycling” by Alice de Swarte, senior director of the Quebec section of the Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP). Several Quebec civil society groups also criticize the Quebec government for not having taken concrete action at COP15. CPAWS, for example, would have liked to see Quebec announce its intention to protect the Magpie River, on the North Shore.

During the day, discussions resumed in order to find common ground on the financial resources requested by developing countries. In the evening, negotiations continued in a working committee formed for this purpose.