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HIGH HOPES FOR UN COP15 BIODIVERSITY CONFERENCE

The rich variety of life in its myriad forms contains marvels, often too intricate and wonderful to comprehend, which are being destroyed with devastating consequences. However, there are great expectations for the biggest biodiversity conference in a decade, phase one of which opened 'virtually' yesterday (11th October 2021) and will run until 15th October 2021. An in-person gathering will follow this online session from 25th April - 8th May 2022, where a final pact to reverse the destruction of nature is expected to be concluded.

Held, just weeks before the Conference of the Parties for the Climate, meets in Glasgow (COP 26), this fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 15), hosted by China, is initially bringing ministers around the world together on-line, to demonstrate their commitments to putting nature on a path towards recovery by 2030. Both issues are closely interrelated and need to be tackled together as we need to live in harmony with nature in order to protect the planet. It's a circle - the cycle of life. We rely on biodiversity, healthy ecosystems and a stable balance of nature for stable weather patterns and for carbon sinks to absorb enough C02, to keep global warming to levels which don't damage or destroy our plants and wildlife and drive more species to extinction.

"COP15 is our chance to call a ceasefire," tweeted UN Secretary General Antonio Qutterres, from the conference, "Together with COP26, it should lay the foundations for a permanent peace agreement."

The discussions around COP15 are centred around the Convention on Biological Diversity, a treaty ratified by 195 countries and the European Union, but not the United States. The meeting is essential in setting a blueprint for fixing the world's biodiversity crisis. Following President Xi Jinping's recent declaration that China would no longer finance coal abroad, seen as an encouraging sign for Beijing's action on biodiversity, he also today opened the COP15 Leaders summit announcing the 'Kunming Biodiversity Fund' of 1.5bn Yuan to support biodiversity protection in developing countries. Xi also added that China will be speeding up the building of natural conservation with a new national park system at its core.

Ursula, von der Leyen, president of the EU, who are leading the way for a new deal to protect people and the planet said, "The European Union will fully play its part. We are doubling our funding to protect nature and halt biodiversity loss." The EU is being represented at the conference by Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius who is leading efforts to achieve an ambitious global agreement to halt biodiversity loss, as set out in the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Under the European Green Deal, the European Commission adopted its EU Biodiversity Strategy last year, which commits to establishing an EU-wide network of effectively managed protected areas covering 30% of land and 30% of sea, with one third of this area strictly protected. The Strategy also sets out a wide range of commitments aimed at restoring nature and expresses the Commission's determination to mobilise international partnerships to help develop and implement an ambitious new UN Global Biodiversity Framework. A core part of the European Green Deal also supports a green recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some of those attending C0P 15 say they've already been greatly encouraged by the ambitious action other countries, have already taken.

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services said, "COP15 is the single most important chance for global decision-makers to use the evidence and expertise that has been so widely shared to tackle both the direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss - for people and for nature."