The Independent at COP-15

With COP-15 happening in Montreal, Leila Beaudoin and Drew Brown talk to Jenn Thornhill Verma and Abby Cole about what’s going on inside and outside the conference.

TRANSCRIPT:

Leila: Currently, thousands are in Montreal talking about nature and what we are doing to save it. Specifically about one million plant animal and other species.

Drew: COP-15 or the 15th Conference of the parties the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity is an international meeting bringing together governments from around the world, one of the most significant conferences on biodiversity in a decade and its actions are meant to halt major biodiversity loss.

Leila: Looking at things like protecting nature and the planet.

Drew: But not everyone believes in what’s being promised.

Leila: We have two of our reporters on the ground.

Drew: Joining us is Jenn Thornhill Verma who’s in Montreal and Abby Cole who just got back from the action and joins us from St John’s. Thank you both for being here.

Leila: Jen it looks like it’s been a wild week, we’re seeing protests, a lot of emotion, but in terms of what we’re hearing what is the risk here what’s at stake?

Jenn: Well, countries are here to agree to targets and ways that they can start to stem the tide of this rapid loss of nature. The main document that they are negotiating is the Global Biodiversity Framework so that’s often considered the Paris agreement for nature. The draft framework itself it’s going to tackle everything from conservation to pollution to mitigating emissions, climate change, but the key pledge that brings together the 196 countries that are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is to reverse biodiversity loss by the end of 2030. So they call it 30 by 30. That’s their commitment to protect 30 percent of land and sea, freshwater and ocean by 2030 and to be living in harmony with nature by 2050. So Leila, you mentioned there are one million plants and animals that face the threat of extinction worldwide. In Canada, a recent report finds that one in five assessed native species face some degree of threat to their existence and that’s from the Wild species 2020 report that was released just at the end of last month before COP-15 got started. That report also found that there’s 500 more species at risk than just five years ago so you know now, to turn the tide, the world really needs to protect habitat, sustainably use the resources that we have, curb pollution, bring down greenhouse gas emissions and you know overall take climate action – so no small task.

Drew: That’s what’s happening inside the walls at COP-15. but what about outside? Abby you were in the thick of things, what can you tell us about the protests and other demonstrations in the streets of Montreal?

Abby: Well, there are many people who do not believe that the world leaders at COP-15 are making the right decisions to save biodiversity.

The police in Montreal are making a huge effort right now to avoid protests in the area surrounding the conference center and there are huge fences surrounding the conference center as well, there’s a massive police presence in the area. I attended two protests this weekend one was more a more informal protest on Friday night organized by an anti-capitalist and ecologist coalition against COP-15. they believe that COP-15 is not presenting solutions to biodiversity and that states and companies at COP-15 are simply greenwashing and seeking to finance further environmental destruction. This protest was a first time experience for me as a journalist. The energy was really intense and actually a little bit scary. There was just as many police maybe even more than protesters including riot police. I also witnessed a couple protesters smashing windows and car mirrors and my friend saw someone get kicked over by a police officer.

Saturday’s protests seemed to be more formal demonstration as there was a less intense police presence the crowd was also significantly larger with roughly 3,500 people in attendance, including different ecological groups from Montreal and across the world. The march was led by an Indigenous delegation and there was drumming singing and dancing which was present throughout the entire crowd, and display of art and music at this march was really moving and the march itself was a representation of how Indigenous people are at the forefront of efforts to save biodiversity.

Drew: Yeah that’s a great point, there’s a growing recognition that government efforts to protect lands and waterways haven’t led to the desired outcomes on protecting biodiversity and there’s a need now more than ever to support Indigenous led conservation and stewardship. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Jenn: Yeah, so maybe Abby I’ll start and throw to you, but there’s certainly a lot of talk at COP-15 about nature reserves and protected marine areas but what’s particularly clear is that these talks, you know, any effort going forward must be in partnership with if not directly led by Indigenous peoples and communities. And I think there’s a good understanding that those who live and work next to a resource have the most at stake when that resource is depleted and I think the past approaches to kind of cutting access to nature as a means to saving it are really being challenged here and we’re hearing examples that show there are ways of protecting nature by living with nature.

Abby: Yeah I agree. Between the events panels and protests I attended outside of COP-15 including a panel hosted by Collectif COP-15 and the Indigenous Village, it is clear that Indigenous communities have answers to saving biodiversity loss. Biodiversity loss is happening on their land by companies that didn’t ask to be there. They’re leading in resistance to further deterioration of that land. I attended a launch party for the national First Nations Guardian Network in the Indigenous Village and the network will connect over 120 Indigenous Guardians that will monitor and protect the environment on their traditional territories with support from the federal government and Environment Canada and by doing this they are honoring their cultural traditions and can pass on traditional knowledge to new generations. This network will receive funding from the federal government to do this and has endorsement of the David Suzuki Foundation who was in attendance at the announcement party.

Leila: That must have been so incredible to witness and I love how you described, Abby, how you’re hearing from Indigenous communities “we have the answers”. We also know there was an announcement earlier in the conference from Prime Minister Trudeau. Last week the Trudeau government pledged 800 million over seven years starting in 2023-24, but collectively these projects could protect up to 1 million square kilometers in Canada. Government says this would drive progress towards Canada’s ambitious goals of conserving 25 percent of land and waters by 2025. And the COP-15 pledge of 30 percent of each by 2030. The projects we know are located in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Nunavut and Ontario.

Drew: You know these do sound like very promising initiatives, but there are some serious questions about who will actually be leading these conservation efforts, Jenn do you have a bit of information about this front?

Jenn: Certainly, and there was a positive reaction to that announcement which really kicked off the formal portion of COP-15 last week, but some remained skeptical that the projects will be truly Indigenous led. So I reached out last week when this announcement happened to Environment and Climate Change Canada, and to their credit you know they said that Indigenous communities involved are leading the engagement the negotiations, the drafting and implementation of agreements and in fact given the development of these agreements are indigenous-led, Environment Canada directed me and other reporters to obtain more information by contacting the Indigenous partners leading the initiative. So, you know, that feels very different to me than other investments that the government of Canada has put forward previously.

Leila: That does feel very different Jenn and I can’t wait to hear more about that media relations process. But I know there’s been some direct links to this province can you tell us more about that?

Jenn: I can and it does. The funding announcement last week it includes, as you noted, Indigenous-led conservation initiatives that support Indigenous rights and responsibilities in protecting and conserving ecosystems, sustainable economies, and continuing this you know profound connection that Indigenous people have with their natural landscapes. And so that newly announced 800 million is actually part of a tranche of a number of government of Canada Investments. So in 2018 the Government of Canada invested 118 million to support Indigenous-led conservation initiatives and there was also, that included Abby mentioned the kickoff of the Indigenous Guardians work that was Indigenous Guardians Network as well as Indigenous protected areas.

They’ve also invested almost 454 million in 2021 to support a host of Indigenous-led projects and here in Newfoundland and Labrador people will remember that there was a recent government of Canada and Miawpukek First Nation announcement to support a new Indigenous protected and conserved area there was three million and also four Indigenous Guardians associated with that project, and then there’s also work that’s happening in the Torngat area toward a national marine conservation area and that brings together the Nunatsiavut government with government of Canada. And just to say too, it’s not just the federal government that has been pledging investments at this meeting. Last night the Quebec government has upped its commitment from saving 17 to 30 percent of nature and waterways by 2030 and they’ve put forward 650 million over the next seven years so it’ll be interesting to see how other provinces and territories respond.

Abby: From outside the walls I’ve heard it over and over again, Indigenous people have the knowledge and ability to preserve biodiversity. Protection and preservation of land is part of Indigenous culture and tradition and for them biodiversity loss is an outcome of colonialism. So it is evident that Indigenous people need to be at the forefront of decision making when it comes to these decisions to protect the environment.

Leila: I’m so happy you’re both a part of this conversation. Finally, Seasplainer is always on our mind–we know fish species are at risk, Jenn can you talk to me about that about fisheries and oceans?

Jenn: Yeah, so the 30 30 agreement means protecting 30 percent of lands, waterways, oceans too, so fresh water and marine water and Leila last month’s Seasplainer that we did, it made it really quite clear that the effects of climate change are really having detrimental effects putting species at risk; there’s warming waters, deoxygenation, there’s ocean acidification, I mean you name it it’s not good. The Northwest Atlantic too is also a known global warming hot spot. But another question is, you know, the fishing itself and fishing sustainably. so there’s a big contingent here of small-scale fishers who are saying that blanket bans on marine areas is not a catch-all solution. They want to see also an end to the high seas fishing and fishing trawling that’s happening which is both detrimental to fish but also to ecosystems.

The world we know depends on wild fisheries as a crucial source of food and what I’ve heard is that small scale fishers produce 40 percent of of global fisheries catch and they do it with a much lower environmental impact than industrial fishing. There’s also a call from small-scale fishers and others actually at this meeting writ large for gender equality in fisheries and in the approach of the global biodiversity framework and a lot of talk that if we want to build sustainable fisheries then we have to include fishers in these discussions we need to rely on traditional knowledge as we’ve been talking about but also Western science to inform policy.

And then just the last thing I’ll say is that earlier we mentioned the species are at risk. Well, here in Canada fish are a growing proportion of all species at risk and they’re growing by about five percent over the last decade. Less than half of all fish species or populations assessed as at risk in Canada end up getting protections through our Species at Risk Act. Folks will know that happening simultaneously to COP-15, Fisheries and Oceans Canada or DFO does have a public consultation open. They want to add 62 more fish stocks to the fish stocks provision of the Fisheries Act and currently there’s 30 fish stocks so, for Newfoundlanders, they’ll know cod is one of those listed stocks, they’re one of the first that got a rebuilding plan. So if these other 62 stocks are added then that would require the DFO to develop rebuilding plans like has been done with cod and also potentially take necessary measures from quota cuts, fishing gear restrictions, fishery closures to restore the health of those fisheries to sustainable levels so lots relevant to fisheries and oceans here at COP-15.

Drew: Absolutely, these are big issues with high stakes and serious repercussions for not only Newfoundlanders and Labradorians but everybody really. So thank you both for being there to cover this for The Independent and for talking with us about this today. Climate change of course will be a big part of The Independent’s 2023 coverage and we do have more coming from COP-15 particularly a piece from Abby that will take us closer to the scene of protests in the streets of Montreal.

Leila: And of course Jenn and I will be taking this out on the water in Seasplainer in the coming months.