WSP at COP 15: It is time to act and build a better future for all life on earth
COP 15 — the UN Biodiversity Conference taking place in Montreal, December 7 - 19, 2022 — is where public- and private-sector leaders will come together to address the accelerating loss of biodiversity and set important targets for combatting the devastating effects of loss of our natural ecosystems and wildlife.
Ambitious commitments at COP 15 are important because biodiversity plays an important role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the protection and restoration of ecosystems is essential to achieving our carbon targets. We are at a crucial turning point to ensure the continued health of our planet, so it is critical that we take steps to conserve and restore biodiversity now. This includes protecting natural habitats, restoring degraded ecosystems, and promoting sustainable use of resources.
The goal of COP 15 is to set the framework for an ambitious plan to transform society’s relationship with biodiversity globally. This means halting biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieving recovery and restoration by 2050 to safeguard nature and our future. This year, COP 15 will focus on adopting the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, a series of targets designed to improve the resilience of ecosystems, including eliminating plastic waste and ensuring at least 30% of land and sea areas are protected.
Climate change is already causing significant loss of biodiversity, and this trend is expected to accelerate as the global temperature continues to warm. The COP 15 conference is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for global leaders to discuss the most effective ways to reverse biodiversity loss and secure a bright future for all of us and generations yet to come.
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WSP is at the forefront of the preservation of nature and biodiversity. We are initiating conversations with our global clients, engaging with decision-making bodies, and leading projects that challenge traditional approaches to build ecological resilience.
Organisations and businesses have a key role to play in reversing the loss of nature and doing so in ways that work hand-in-hand with Net Zero carbon targets and other Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) goals. WSP brings unparalleled expertise, years of experience and a diverse set of strengths to support urgent action on nature:
Accounting for natural capital
Our natural capital approach helps clients uncover the true economic costs of biodiversity loss and diminished ecosystem function, providing a better understanding of how to manage the associated risks, enhance value and increase resilience.
Ecological revitalization
We design approaches for restoring habitat integrity and improving the processes and function of degraded ecological systems, leading to long-term recovery and resilience.
Strategic advisory and guidance
We provide organizations with strategic advice and guidance for incorporating a nature-positive approach across their organisation and embedding nature into environmental, social and governance strategy, including contributing to the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Enhancing the built environment
We deliver nature-based solutions through designing green infrastructure that support ecosystem function by integrating biodiversity into the fabric of the built environment, such as constructed wetlands, vegetated roofs, living shorelines and wildlife corridors.
Visit our Biodiversity & Natural Capital hub and explore more insights and case studies
With COP 15 aspiring to set biodiversity on a path to recovery with the goal of living in harmony with nature by 2050, it is apparent that achieving this will require a broader, bolder, and better approach. Our WSP experts share their transformative ideas for enhancing ecosystems, preserving nature, and creating healthier communities in our latest insights:
UN Biodiversity Conference - An Agreement to Act Upon
Last December in Montreal, almost 200 nations came together to agree the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), setting a vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050 and with 23 targets set to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
What you can expect from the COP 15 UN Biodiversity Conference
A new mandate for the global protection and restoration of nature could be determined as part of the discussions at the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP 15.
Nature-Based Solutions For Our Nature-Positive Journey
The term “nature-based solutions” is relatively new to the industry, but its concept is not. Quite simply, it’s working with nature – from the plants, bacteria and fungi to the scale of the ecosystem – to solve social and economic issues.
Financing nature and the growth of natural capital markets
Look around and everything you see is a product of nature – from the food we eat to the buildings we live in and the roads we drive on. The entirely of our economy is dependent on and embedded in nature.
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