CBD COP16: Why we do what we do

Henri Brocklebank

Director of Conservation 

The work of the Sussex Wildlife Trust is essentially a local response to three global crises. The nature and biodiversity crisis, the climate crisis and the crisis in nature connection that we are seeing within our society. Our Strategy ‘Our Wild Sussex’ is our local approach to this and it also reflects the work of the 46 other Wildlife Trusts across the UK.

This week, representatives of governments from across the world, representing 192 nations, have gathered in Cali, Colombia, for a UN conference discussing the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources. This meeting is called CBD COP16. ‘COP’ means ‘Conference of the Parties’, the regular meeting of Parties to a particular UN Convention. In this case, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), or Biodiversity Convention, are meeting for the sixteenth time – COP16.

As Wildlife Trusts we have aligned our own ambitions and targets to the success of these conventions – we need clear action form all sectors to achieve our goals for wildlife. The Wildlife Trusts (nationally) have our Chief Executive and Director of Nature Recovery and our Director of Climate in attendance. They are there to lobby our UK decision makers who are there – showing them clearly that we are watching the UK response closely.

This COP brings together people, sectors, communities and countries to look at solutions to the work committed to by the UK Government in Montreal at COP 14 two years ago. Every day at 5pm Rob, Craig and Kathryn are posting a live update on YouTube. Here is a link to the first and second updates. The Convention will no doubt be accompanied with highs and lows, and the team will not only be sharing their own experience, but also interviewing key players. The first session fascinatingly sets out the context of the days that lie ahead.

I will be watching these updates daily – to me it links our work directly to international decisions and supports the eternal mantra of ‘think global and act local.

Do watch and subscribe and then you will be sent links by YouTube to their daily updates.