New IEMA guide: COP 15 Explained - Will this be the Paris Agreement for nature?

IEMA is delighted to introduce a new guide to COP 15, the UN biodiversity conference held in Montreal from 7th – 19th December 2022. In this blog, Lesley Wilson (IEMA’s Policy and Engagement Lead on Biodiversity) discusses some of the detail set out in the guide.

At the conference, a new framework of biodiversity targets for member countries will be finalised that could be a turning point for nature in the UK and across the world.

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and species continue to decline internationally, and we are losing biodiversity as social capital and as business capital.

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), created in 1992, is an international treaty aimed at conserving biodiversity, the sustainable use of biodiversity, and the equitable sharing of genetic resources. The Conference of Parties (COP) is a biannual meeting of the 196 signatories.

This year, at COP 15 (Conference of Parties meeting number 15) the CBD will produce a strategic framework of requirements around actions on biodiversity to be implemented by signatories by 2030. Known as the ‘Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework’ it will have 22 targets including targets for business.

So, why is this important? Many targets will be implemented by governments and many will impact businesses, the economy and civil society alike. There is one – target 15 – that specifically sets targets for business around reporting, reducing impacts, and the supply chain.

Could this be the ‘Paris Agreement’ for nature?

International climate change negotiations in Paris in 2015 brought common goals for business and sustainability professionals around carbon reduction and it would be good if the ambition and determination of the CBD could create a similar momentum and public awareness within a biodiversity and natural capital context. Moreover, it would be a sign of progress if the targets set in the framework can be used to create a practical roadmap to nature recovery.

You can download the full guide here.