#Oceans

Canadian environmental groups welcome the Kunming-Montreal Agreement at COP15 in Montreal to halt and reverse global biodiversity loss by 2030 and applaud Canada’s leadership, which was instrumental in landing the deal.

This announcement is a huge moment for nature, which is so important to everyone. While the deal isn’t perfect, we are happy to see a strong recognition of Indigenous rights and knowledge. This is the future of ethical and effective conservation worldwide.

At the final adoption of an agreement at COP15, Greenpeace welcomes the explicit recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights, roles, territories, and knowledge as the most effective biodiversity protection that has come out of the UN biodiversity talks.

Canadian nature groups welcomed the announcement saying the Minister’s remarks promise to deliver a national strategy that commits to “raise the bar” to deliver on a great many issues that the nature community has been asking for.

Recognition and respect for the roles of Indigenous Peoples, who protect 80% of existing biodiversity globally, was removed from some parts of the draft agreement. Over the weekend, thousands marched on the COP15 convention center in Montreal over the weekend, calling for rights for Indigenous Peoples.

Over 3,500 people gathered today to join the Great March for Life, which started at 1:00 pm at the Mount Royal statue, despite the freezing cold.

With 1 million species at risk of extinction worldwide, it is clear that nature is in crisis. So, it needs protection. A clear indicator of success for these negotiations will be how much they enshrine Indigenous knowledge as a science of the land in its own right.