Faith communities celebrate global deal to protect nature

Photo by Satyabratasm on Unsplash

Faiths at COP15, a coalition of faith-based organisations and conservation groups, have celebrated the adoption of a COP15 deal, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), that calls for urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The agreement came at the end of the two-week UN conference last Sunday.

The GBF aims to protect and restore at least 30% of Earth's land and water by 2030, as well as reduce our ecological footprint, halve the risks of pesticides, and eliminate or repurpose harmful subsidies.

Some aspects of the GBF are not as ambitious as the coalition would have hoped, including that the ratcheting mechanism is voluntary, that there are no mandatory reporting requirements for businesses, and that biodiversity offsets are included. Significantly, however, the Framework recognises the contributions and rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, the role of women and girls, and children and youth, as well as the need for a whole of society, participatory, and inclusive approach when taking action to protect biodiversity.

"The Global Biodiversity Framework has the potential to create transformative action and contribute to the fulfilment of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment for all," said Alexandra Goossens-Ishii, Programme Coordinator for Climate and Environment Advocacy for Soka Gakkai International and policy lead for Faiths at COP15. "The GBF also recognises the relevance of implementing the Framework through a rights-based approach," she added.

COP15 was the first time that a coalition of faith-based organisations, representing every major religious tradition, participated in a biodiversity conference. Over 25 organisations participated in the proceedings in Montréal. Catholic representation included the Laudato Si Movement, CIDSE, Columban missionaries and Jesuits. A petition signed by 231,000 Catholics was presented. The coalition hosted side events in a Faith Pavilion, and some were followed internationally through the internet. It tweeted last weekend: 'All religious traditions envision a world where harmony with people and planet is possible.'

"It's been beautiful to watch life grow and flourish within our coalition," said Amy Echeverria, International Coordinator for Justice, Peace, and Ecology for the Missionary Society of St Columban and co-convener of Faiths at COP15. "Faith traditions have the ability to help negotiators open up their hearts to the profound existential crisis our planet is in, as well as the moral responsibility each of us has," she said; "especially in these kinds of conversations that are very technical and political, faiths lift up our connection to nature from the heart."

Faiths at COP15 will continue to stay involved in the work of the CBD, especially by helping to translate the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into language recognised by faith communities and invite more of them into the work of the convention.

"Now that we have the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the work to implement it begins," said Gopal Patel, Co-Founder and Director of Bhumi Global and co-convener of Faiths at COP15. "Given the immense potential of faith communities to mobilize people at local levels, we are uniquely positioned to play a leading role in creating a nature positive world where all life flourishes," he said.

LINK

Faiths at COP15: www.biodiversity.faith