Montréal/Tiohtià:ke | Traditional, unceded lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka/Mohawk Nation, a gathering place for many First Nations, including the Anishinaabeg – Between December 7 and December 19, 2022, Environmental Defence experts will join leaders, experts and advocates from around the world at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal. As the host country, Canada has a responsibility to demonstrate global leadership in tackling the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, both globally and at home.

Environmental Defence joins the voices of national nature and environment groups in calling for specific federal-level announcements during COP15, such as implementing an ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework and Canadian Biodiversity Action Plan. Furthermore, Environmental Defence expects the federal government to deliver the following in order to align with the CBD’s post-2020 framework:

  • respect inherent Indigenous rights, treaty rights and sovereignty;
  • address the immediate threat posed by the tar sands tailings ponds and develop a fulsome strategy for the area’s reclamation;
  • commit to protecting the Great Lakes, putting freshwater protection, Indigenous rights, and the climate ahead of the fossil fuel economy and the Line 5 pipeline;
  • commit to reducing pesticides that fuel biodiversity loss;
  • international leadership to curb plastic production and eliminate plastic pollution.

At the Climate COP27, Canada committed to phasing out unabated fossil fuels. We must take this commitment further at COP15 and end the unabated biodiversity harms of fossil fuel polluters.

For more detailed information, please see our full media backgrounder

When: Wednesday, December 7 to Monday, December 19, 2022

Experts available to comment:

From Montreal:

  • Aliénor Rougeot, Climate and Energy Program Manager (available for interviews in English/French)
  • Cassie Barker, Toxics Senior Program Manager
  • Karen Wirsig, Plastics Program Manager (available for interviews in English/French)
  • Michelle Woodhouse, Water Program Manager

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Paula Gray, Environmental Defence, pgray@environmentaldefence.ca