The United Nations held another COP conference this year, a much-postponed gathering that addressed nature loss. The October 2021 session of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) in Kunming, China, is likely to be eclipsed by the far larger climate-change jamboree in Glasgow, especially as it was a virtual event for many delegates. When it comes to tackling the crises facing the planet, addressing biodiversity loss has always been in the shadow of cutting CO2 emissions, but events this year are finally pushing it into the spotlight.
“You cannot separate climate change and biodiversity loss. It’s not an either/or matter,” argues Eva Zabey, executive director of Business for Nature, a coalition of companies and conservation groups.
Her organisation was behind an open letter – signed by a dozen prominent business leaders, including former Unilever CEO Paul Polman (see p6) – sent to all heads of state before CBD COP15. This urged them to adopt an actionable framework for biodiversity along the lines of the Paris accord on climate change.