COP15 has been described by many observers as the Paris Agreement moment for biodiversity, when the world commits to taking the urgent action needed to tackle nature loss.

Biodiversity, and the benefits it provides, is fundamental to human well-being and a healthy planet. Despite ongoing efforts, biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide and this decline is projected to continue or worsen under business-as-usual scenarios.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) provides a global framework for action on biodiversity. It brings together the Parties in the Conference of the Parties (COP), which is the Convention’s governing body that meets to review progress in the implementation of the convention, to adopt programmes of work, to achieve its objectives and provide policy guidance.

The fifteenth meeting of the COP (COP15) will take place in Montreal, Canada, 7 – 19 December 2022. The key aim of COP15 is to agree upon and launch the post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). It builds on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and sets out an ambitious plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in society’s relationship with biodiversity and to ensure that, by 2050, the shared vision of living in harmony with nature is fulfilled. It provides a global, outcome-oriented framework for the development of national, and as appropriate, regional, goals and targets.

The framework includes action-oriented targets for urgent action over the decade to 2030. The actions set out in each target need to be initiated immediately and completed by 2030. Together, the results will enable achievement of CBD’s 2050 vision.

While the GBF is aimed at governments, its implementation will require strategies and policies to be supported by industry. Successful implementation of the GBF will require businesses to mainstream biodiversity. The most material of the targets to businesses is number 15 which states that policy measures should be in place for businesses and financial institutions to monitor, assess, and disclose their impacts on biodiversity.

The successful adoption of the GBF at COP15 will support the same momentum and confidence to commit to biodiversity action as the Paris Agreement has done for climate action. As organizations have previously made net-zero pledges, it is Ipieca’s hope that they will now also support the global biodiversity goals and contribute to nature positive and halt and reverse nature loss.

Ipieca participated in the first CBD COP event in 1994, and has been involved throughout the CBD COP15 process. Ipieca will be make sure that the GBF hits the ground running, supporting its implementation among our members and across the wider sector.

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