Montreal, October 27, 2022 – Sixty-seven Quebec civil society organizations are joining forces to make COP15 on Biodiversity, which will take place in Montreal from December 7 to 19, a turning point for the preservation of life. The Collectif COP15 [COP15 Collective] brings together environmental and conservation organizations, international development agencies, youth groups, Indigenous organizations, unions, financial organizations, philanthropic foundations and research centres. The Collective is already mobilized to strengthen actions in the face of the unprecedented loss of biodiversity in Quebec and around the world.
“This December, the world will focus its attention on Montreal for the COP15 on biodiversity. This is an event for the preservation of life that cannot be missed. The Global Framework that will be adopted requires profound transformations of our society and could be of even greater importance than the Paris Climate Agreement. Our leaders, in Quebec and Canada, will have to rise to this historic moment by proposing actions that will change the course of the world as we know it,” emphasized the representatives of the Collectif COP15 gathered at the Montreal Biosphere.
“To ensure the success of COP15, the success of the objectives of the Convention and of the Global Biodiversity Framework, governments and stakeholders from all sectors will need to work together, both during the decision-making process and in the implementation of these decisions. The COP15 Collective brings together a range of actors from the entirety of Quebec society. The Collective is a coalition that can join with others to bring about change, to challenge the ‘status quo’ and that can act effectively to lead societies to live in harmony with nature. I encourage the COP15 Collective to interact with international participants at the Conference and to make its voice heard there as well as beyond this moment,” underscored David Cooper, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), who spoke at the event.
The “Living Generations” Space
Under the slogan “Générations vivantes” [“Living Generations”], the Collectif COP15 will promote best practices in protecting and restoring biodiversity through more than 60 events. The epicentre of the mobilization will be the Espace “Générations vivantes,” located at the Cœur des sciences de l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and the Maison du développement durable. Among the Collective’s key events: an international conference from December 6 to 8 on the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, a massive march in the heart of Montreal on December 10, and the Dialogues de biodiversité [Biodiversity Dialogues] a public event to spread awareness of the issues at stake during the negotiations. Thanks to the diversity of the players involved, a wide variety of issues related to biodiversity will be addressed in all their forms – the economy, a just transition, culture, land use planning, and more. Opportunities for conversation will continue outside of this space, thanks to programming by the Montreal cultural community and various activities across Quebec.
A new Global Framework to determine the future of humanity
COP15 is the most important global meeting for biodiversity in over 10 years: it is about adopting a new Global Framework, in force until 2030, to stop loss of life and make the protection of nature a fundamental value of our societies. To meet this goal, the Collective hopes for the ratification of ambitious nature conservation targets, including the protection of 30% of the world’s land and marine areas; resources to fund the implementation of the global framework; and binding measures to ensure that the targets are met in an equitable and inclusive manner. The political significance of this framework would make it the equivalent of the Paris Agreement for climate, and more. Because the biodiversity and climate crises are so intertwined, signing on to the new 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework would increase the chances of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Both Quebec City and Ottawa must walk the talk
As governments struggle to meet the goals they committed to in the last decade, the 67 organizations from across all sectors are calling on elected officials to show exemplary leadership at COP15 and seize the opportunity to make it a turning point. The Collective is calling for concrete gains in the protection of natural environments and endangered species; investments that are equal to the challenge; a responsible and transparent whole-of-government approach; the modernization of several laws; and better supervision of the private sector. In this regard, this large coalition of Quebec civil society organizations has targeted several issues on which governments have the power to act immediately, including permanent protection of the Magpie River and the creation of a large nature park in Montreal’s east end.
“The COP15 in Montreal is a COP unlike any other, it is the Biodiversity COP of the decade. Our Collective, which brings together actors from all walks of life, will encourage our governments to play an exemplary role in this historic moment. We will be present inside and outside for teh duration of the negotiations and will give everyone (citizens, companies, NGOs) the opportunity to participate in this unprecedented mouvement for the protection of biodiversity,” the Collectif COP15 stated.
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About the Collectif COP15
The Collective was formed at the end of June 2022 to respond to the urgent need to act on biodiversity loss. It brings together 67 organizations from Quebec civil society (environmental and conservation organizations, international development agencies, youth groups, Indigenous organizations, unions, financial organizations, philanthropic foundations and research centres). The Collective is led by a committee of eight organizations: Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), Fondaction, Nature Québec, Regroupement national des conseils régionaux de l’environnement du Québec (RNCREQ), Climate Action Network Canada (CAN-Rac), Réseau des Milieux Naturels protégés (RMN) and CPAWS Québec, and is coordinated by COPTICOM Strategies and Public Relations.
The program will be available on the Collectif COP15 website.
Consult the Collective’s fact sheet for a complete list of organizations.
Media Contact:
Marie-Eve St-Onge
COPTICOM, Strategies and Public Relations
514-601-5504
mestonge@copticom.ca
