Addressing Biodiversity Loss: The Convention on Biological Diversity

Efforts are underway to try to counter humanity’s genocide against the natural world. Unless we act in a timely fashion to prevent further destruction of biodiversity entire ecosystems are at risk of collapse. According to a recent IPBES report human activity (eg climate change causing emissions, habitat loss, and pollution) could result in the demise of up to one million species in the next 20 years.

Governments are meeting in China in 2020 to tackle this serious problem. There is hope that we can build a consensus for an accord similar to the Paris Climate Agreement. The goal is to secure a deal that would protect biodiversity as part of the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity. It will focus on issues like species protections, limiting deforestation, sustainable farming, and responsible fishing.

Next year countries will also meet to negotiate a new global oceans treaty as part of the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea. This is prescient in light of recent reports that show marine life is being decimated by warming seas.

While many plants and animals are at risk, pollinators are a species at risk with devastating potential impacts. We have already seen massive declines in bee populations around the world, further losses could severely decrease agricultural yields.

The research also shows that ecosystem collapse is a direct result of human activity. It is important to note that the fate of biodiversity mirrors our own fate. Reports foretell the end of human civilization if we continue with business as usual.