2022
December 18
Soil biodiversity booth
Équiterre is animating an exhibition booth on soil biodiversity in the Canada Pavilion (closed to the public)
Completed
COP15
COP15, which took place in Montreal from December 7 to 19, was a turning point to preserve life.
Context
COP15 is the most important global meeting on biodiversity in over 10 years. Its goal is to raise ambition among the countries who have signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and to adopt a new common global framework for biodiversity restoration and protection. The new global framework will require profound transformations in our society in order to:
Stabilize the trends that have exacerbated biodiversity loss in the next ten years (by 2030);
Allow for the recovery of natural ecosystems in the following 20 years, with net improvements by 2050;
Achieve the Convention's vision of "living in harmony with nature by 2050."
Issues
We are in the midst of an environmental crisis (climate disruption and biodiversity decline) which is greatly affecting the living world. Our ecosystems and our planet operate within a delicate balance, and when biodiversity is eroded, all living things are threatened. There are impacts on the livelihoods and the food security of billions of people, on our health and on our quality of life.
🐝 One million plant and animal species under threat
According to a 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), no less than one million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction (out of an estimated total of eight million on Earth).
Humanity is far behind on biodiversity conservation. Currently, the world protects 8% of its marine areas and almost 16% of its terrestrial and aquatic environments.
To confront the bio-climatic emergency, Équiterre is working to foster systemic changes.
“ Biodiversity is everything that’s alive. It’s you, it’s us, it’s everything that makes up our ecosystems and that allow us to live on this planet. It’s the food that nourishes us, it’s the water that hydrates us. It’s the microorganisms that decompose living things at the end of their lives so that they can feed the soil and generate new life. ”
Why is Équiterre at COP15?
In 2022, the environmental movement has a multitude of voices and expertise areas, with numerous groups working specifically on protecting biodiversity, flora and fauna. Équiterre's work to fight and mitigate the impacts of the environmental crisis is closely linked with the fight against biodiversity loss. Climate issues and biodiversity issues are closely intertwined. Work on one cannot be done without the other.
Équiterre is at COP15 to monitor progress on the global framework, and will be working in three areas:
Highlighting the importance of soil biodiversity
For several years, Équiterre has been working on soil health, which is directly linked to human and environmental health. Biodiverse, living soils not only produce food that is more nutritious, they also capture carbon and protect against the effects of climate change.
During COP15, Équiterre will host a conference and a panel discussion on soil biodiversity and animate a booth on soil biodiversity.
Mobilizing against projects that would destroy biodiversity
The federal government is working to protect endangered species and biodiversity, but it continues to approve fossil projects such as Bay du Nord. The government’s offshore oil and gas regulations are too weak to properly protect marine ecosystems and species.
During COP15, Équiterre will raise awareness about the risks and impacts that Bay du Nord would have on marine ecosystems and species, to continue mobilizing against the project.
Raising awareness on the impacts of biodiversity loss
The impacts of biodiversity decline go far beyond the loss of iconic animals such as the polar bear. When biodiversity is lost, all forms of life are threatened.
During COP15, Équiterre will encourage people to join us at the Great March for Biodiversity;
provide information as a member of the Collectif COP15;
donate a work of art entitled Ours polaire sur glaces éphémères to the City of Montréal for display, with the goal of raising public awareness about the interrelated issues of climate disruption and biodiversity decline.
COP15 timeline
December 13
Join our webinar on Bay du Nord
Équiterre is co-hosting a webinar with Sierra Club, on the risks and the impacts that the Bay du Nord project will have on marine species and ecosystems
December 12
Watch our conference on soil biodiversity
Équiterre is hosting a conference and panel discussion on soil biodiversity and food
December 10
March with us!
Équiterre is participating in the Great March for Biodiversity and Human Rights
December 8
View our mural projection
Équiterre is animating a projection on La Maison du développement durable in Montréal
December 5
World Soil Day
Open letter by Carole-Anne Lapierre "The soil feeds what feeds us. It constitutes, both literally and figuratively, the foundation of our health and life on Earth. And yet, we know so little about it.
As we celebrate World Soil Day, we invite you to learn more about this living, nourishing heritage home to a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity."
December 4 to 20
View the artwork: Ours polaire sur glaces éphémères
Exposition at Place des Arts of a work of art donated to the City of Montreal by Équiterre
October 27
Launch of the Collectif COP15
Civil society is mobilized in support of biodiversity!
What is COP and what is the difference between COP15 and COP27?
"COP" refers to the "Conference of the Parties." As the "Parties" are the countries that are signatories to a convention, a COP is a large summit where all the countries that have signed on and are bound by that convention come together. Conventions are required to hold periodic meetings with their members to review progress, make changes to the content of negotiated texts and set new targets.
COP15 in Montreal will deal with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and is the 15th Conference of the Parties to be held since the Convention was signed.
COP27, which was held in Egypt, focused on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The UNFCCC and the CBD are tools that emerged from the 1992 Earth Summit, where countries signed the Rio Declaration and agreed to establish legal instruments designed to protect the global environment. Unlike the annual climate COPs, the biodiversity COPs occur on average every two years.
Why is Montreal hosting COP15?
In fact, it’s not. The COP15 on biodiversity being held in Montreal is simply the second part of a COP that was originally scheduled to take place in China in 2020, but was disrupted by the pandemic. Following numerous attempts to postpone it, it was decided to divide the biodiversity COP15 into two sessions.
The first one was held in the fall of 2021 in Kunming, China (primarily in virtual mode). The second one was also supposed to take place in China, but because of health restrictions, members had to look for a new location for the conference. Montreal, which is home to the CBD Secretariat, was chosen. China retains the Presidency of COP15, but has been working closely with Canada to organize it.
How far have we come in Quebec and in Canada in terms of biodiversity protection?
Quebec has almost achieved its target of protecting 17% of its land and freshwater areas. However, the majority of the protected areas that have been created are up North, where there is significantly less pressure from industry.
Canada is still a long way from the goal of protecting 30% of its land and sea areas by 2030. Currently, around 13% of its land and water areas is protected and 9% of its marine areas is protected.
Related content
Check out our related content to better understand the issues surrounding this UN conference on biodiversity.
