CBD COP15 was highly anticipated by those within the conservation sector and the emerging nature-based solutions industry. On the agenda were several discussions on pollinator protection, agricultural practices, forestry, and marine spaces — but the biggest item was an ambitious plan to protect 30% of the world’s natural areas by 2030.
The boreal forests (also known as the Taiga) experience some of the harshest conditions of any forest, and yet support robust ecosystems capable of significant biological activity.The boreal forests are excellent “carbon sinks”, not because of the extensive forests but because of the frozen and waterlogged soils that cover the biome.Unfortunately, rising temperatures due to climate change is weakening the boreal forests’ ability to store carbon.
Right on the heels of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD COP15) took place in Montreal, Canada between December 7th and 19th.
COP26 fell short of expectations in terms of biodiversity-related policy; Don’t expect biodiversity to be a major policy topic at COP27 The 30x30 target is one of the most ambitious conservation goals being discussed, but details on its implementation will likely be finalised apart from COP.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an independent non-profit organisation that seeks to set a recognised standard for sustainable fishing and therefore limit overfishing in the ocean’s wild fisheries. Through its ‘blue-tick’ label on seafood products and its Theory of Change, the MSC hopes to encourage a healthier and more productive seafood market. However, the organisation has faced a multitude of criticisms over its effectiveness and practices in recent years. The MSC was first established in 1996 as a collaboration between the WWF and Unilever, following a collapse in cod populations in North Atlantic fisheries MSC certified products have to pass two Standards in order to carry the blue tick label: the MSC Fisheries Standard and the MSC Chain of Custody Standard Over 20,000 seafood products are sold with the MSC label, but many environmentalists and organisations have questioned the effectiveness of the certification approach
Peatlands, though only covering around 3% of the world’s landmass, are crucial for Earth’s climate. As they produce the prestage of lignite, they currently store double as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined.