Climate leaders say ‘Paris Agreement’ for nature in Montreal imperative to reach 1.5C goal

Climate champions of the 2015 Paris Agreement that committed the world to limiting global warming to as close as possible to 1.5C are now urging world leaders to secure a strong sister agreement for nature in Montreal, at the UN Convention of Biological Diversity s COP15.

The climate experts state that a lack of an ambitious and transformative global biodiversity agreement at the COP15 UN biodiversity conference in December risks undermining the planet’s ability to deliver on key climate goals.

There is no pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5C without action on protecting and restoring nature. Only by taking urgent action to halt and reverse the loss of nature this decade, while continuing to step up efforts to rapidly decarbonize our economies, can we hope to achieve the promise of the Paris Agreement.

To be clear: achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is only possible if we also act now to deliver a nature-positive society,” says the climate leaders.

The statement comes on the dedicated ‘Biodiversity Day’ at the climate conference with the climate leaders stating:

“COP27 must go further in recognising nature’s fundamental role. COP27 must go further in recognizing nature’s fundamental role as part of the climate solution and catalyze concrete measures to protect and restore nature for the benefit of all.

The upcoming COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference in December offers an unprecedented opportunity for the world to turn the tide on nature loss, in support of climate action and the SustainableDevelopment Goals.

We cannot afford to miss it. Bold leadership is required. Leaders must secure a global agreement for biodiversity which is as ambitious, science-based and comprehensive as the Paris Agreement is for climate change. Like the Paris Agreement, it must encourage countries to pledge and also ratchet up their action commensurate with the size of the challenge.

It must be inclusive, rights-based and work for all. And it must deliver, through the whole of society, immediate action on the ground – our future depends on it. Call on world leaders to secure an ambitious and transformative global biodiversity agreement capable of reversing nature loss this decade at the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal in December.

Urging them to

● Commit to prioritise the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference;
● Adopt a global goal of reversing biodiversity by 2030 for a nature-positive world;
● Deliver a comprehensive agreement, with the necessary finance and technical support to
drive immediate action on the ground;
● Secure a strong implementation mechanism, in the mold of the Paris Agreement, ensuring
countries regularly review progress against biodiversity targets and progressively ratchet up
action;
● Recognize the role of Nature based Solutions to catalyse biodiversity and climate action,
towards a Net Zero, Nature Positive world;
● Recognize the importance of the whole of society approach and support the Action Agenda
for Nature and People as a key vehicle to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework;
● Place the knowledge, rights and stewardship of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
at the centre of an inclusive agreement delivered through rights-based and whole-of-society
approaches.