Climate Proof Canada praises agreement for global biodiversity framework

Nations have agreed to protect a third of the planet by 2030 in a landmark deal made during United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) – an agreement that Climate Proof Canada has voiced its full support for.

The historic Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework outlines four goals and 23 time-bound targets. The goals include protecting 30% of the world’s land, water, and marine areas by 2023, and the mobilization of at least US$200 billion annually in domestic and international biodiversity-related funding from both private and public sources – all to help conserve biodiversity in the context of human degradation and climate change. The framework also aims to cut global food waste in half.

These targets and the commitment displayed by the participating nations have been lauded by Climate Proof Canada – a Canadian coalition of private and civil organizations including insurers, disaster relief organizations, municipalities, indigenous groups, and academic leaders.

“Climate Proof Canada applauds the Government of Canada for leading the establishment of these goals and near-term targets to ensure ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change,” the group said in a statement. “Since its formation, Climate Proof Canada has been advocating for all orders of government to focus on actionable targets for adaptation, both domestically and globally.”

Specifically, Climate Proof Canada praised three targets outlined by the framework.

Which parts of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework are Climate Proof Canada in support of?

The organization applauded the adoption of the Framework’s targets 8, 11, and 15, which aim to:

• Target 8 – Minimize the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity and increase biodiversity's resilience through mitigation, adaptation and disaster risk reduction actions
• Target 11 – Restore, maintain and enhance nature's contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services
• Target 15 – Take legal, administrative or policy measures to encourage and enable businesses, in particular large and transnational companies and financial institutions, to progressively reduce negative impacts on biodiversity and promote actions to ensure sustainable patterns of production

“The Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework now provides a precedent and template for what society can – and should – be achieving when it comes to adaptation and disaster risk reduction,” the organization said in its release. “Climate Proof Canada members stand ready to play an active role in working with the federal government to meet these targets.”

Last month, Climate Proof Canada also hailed the federal government’s $1.6 billion commitment to a new National Adaptation Strategy. The funding will be used to support municipalities and townships in building infrastructure that can withstand flooding, while also improving the public’s access to wildfire safety information.