What is the biodiversity COP?  

The Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties (COP), also known as the biodiversity COP, binds 196 nation signatories to conserve biodiversity, encourage sustainability, and share the costs and benefits of biodiversity between more and less developed countries. 

Under China’s presidency, although hosted in Montreal, Canada, COP 15 on 7-19 December 2022 is the latest biodiversity COP. 

What happened at the Glasgow climate change COP?

In 2021, Glasgow hosted COP 26. This was a key moment for the UK government to demonstrate its commitment to a green future, but what also shone through was the people’s voices on issues and policies they felt were contributing to climate change.

Many people highlighted the inextricable link between the climate and nature crises. Such momentum and public will for change needs to be carried through to COP 15 to continue demonstrating how nature and nature’s recovery can help solve not only the ecological crisis, but the climate crisis too. 

The conference achieved the signing of the Glasgow Climate Pact and agreed the Paris Rulebook, both vitally important for keeping attempts to limit global warming to a 1.5C maximum alive, but only just.

COP 26 also pledged to end deforestation by 2030, with agreements linking biodiversity loss and climate change at the international level for the first time.

How could climate change affect nature in our area?

One potential climate change impact on nature in the BBOWT region is the reduction in beechwood cover as the climate of southeast England warms and becomes too dry for the shallow rooted beech. This will see beech trees “move” north to the cooler damper conditions they prefer. 

In the buildup to COP 15, what's happening in the UK?

Domestic political backgrounds leading up to each COP are important as nations want to present themselves positively on the international stage, demonstrating they are tackling the ecological emergency at home.

However, the UK government’s attack on nature, principally through the Retained EU Law Bill does anything but stop nature’s decline (watch the recording of The Wildlife Trust's recent discussion below).

Instead, it plans to remove (sunset) EU laws that designate and protect nature reserves nationwide and applies to sites including the Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain, Burnham Beeches and Oxford Meadows SACs in our region. All while this biodiversity COP is encouraging global strengthening of environmental laws.

Why is the COP 15 in Montreal so important?

This biodiversity COP is significant because global wildlife populations have declined by 69% since 1970 (WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022). Therefore, this COP is viewed by many as one of the last chances to agree and begin implementing significant actions to restore biodiversity.

While for many, the protection and restoration of biodiversity for its intrinsic value is enough, nature’s recovery will also improve ecosystem service provision (clean air and water, crop pollination, flood protection and more) and offer nature-based solutions to climate change, as healthy habitats such as woodlands and peatlands lock away carbon dioxide, all helping the planet stay below 1.5C of warming.

The value of nature-based solutions in tackling climate change was recognised in the recently concluded climate COP 27. 

What's on the agenda for the COP 15?

The convening of world government representatives for the biodiversity COP will primarily focus on finalising the post 2020 global biodiversity framework. This will set out globally agreed targets for nature protection and restoration for the next decade, working towards a more nature-positive future and the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.

The establishment of firm and accountable targets that will see biodiversity loss halted by 2030 means covering issues that range across: expansion of protected areas, invasive species, infrastructure, pollution, sustainably produced food, the roles of business in nature conservation and phasing out publicly funded subsidies that harm nature.

Only by agreeing ambitious, science-based and proactive targets - such as restoring at least 20 per cent of degraded freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and redirecting, repurposing, reforming or eliminating incentives harmful for biodiversity and reducing them by at least £407 billion per year will we achieve 30 by 30 (30% of land protected for nature by 2030) and transform society's relationship with biodiversity, in turn safeguarding humanity’s future.

Another focus area for negotiators at the biodiversity COP is to create and agree a global financial investment model for nature’s recovery. This would identify how to fairly and equitably share the costs (and benefits) of nature restoration among wealthy and developing countries, while honouring indigenous leadership and valuing nature's contribution to humanity.

It is hoped this will take account of the value of indigenous peoples’ and communities’ contributions to the protection of biodiversity, as well as modern approaches such as genetic sequencing.

The Wildlife Trusts have long understood that where communities value nature and are listened to is often where the most effective nature protection occurs.  

Nature-based solutions to climate change are also on the agenda, following agreement from a number of nations that funding to combat climate change should also go towards protecting and restoring biodiversity.

Read more about nature-based solutions

What can we do in Berks, Bucks and Oxon?

There are a number of nature-based solutions we can take within the Berks, Bucks and Oxon region, such as planting and restoring native broadleaved woodlands and creating and restoring wetlands to lock up carbon dioxide.

We can also consider species reintroductions which will rebalance and restore the wealth of life within the UK’s ecosystems, in turn helping provide better ecosystem services. These are essential to tempering the changes in climate already happening, but have to occur alongside huge changes in human lifestyles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

There is no doubt that stakes are huge, time is short, and negotiations will be tricky. Therefore, urgent conversation is needed now as we can’t wait any longer to act.

We need a global plan to save nature.

Join the Urgent Conversations campaign

That’s why BBOWT, as part of The Wildlife Trusts, is supporting the Urgent Conversations campaign to tell our Government that Britain needs to step up on the world stage. We need to lead the pledge to secure significant, ambitious commitment, to make the next decade one of action for nature’s recovery. 

Despite the importance of this biodiversity COP, no world leaders have been invited to attend the conference by China, due to concerns of upstaging, as China’s leader is not expected to attend. Only ministers and NGO heads have been invited, suggesting world leaders will have to invite themselves. 

You can help by signing the petition to call on Rishi Sunak to attend COP 15 and demonstrate that the UK is committed to halt and reverse biodiversity decline by 2030, by restoring rich and interconnected ecosystems.