Canada Minister of the Environment and Climate Change concludes visit to Colombia
Canadian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault will conclude his Latin America tour in Colombia today.
Guilbeault’s trip also included visits to Chile and Argentina to promote environmental conservation ahead of the COP15 conference in December. Although the event is administered by sitting conference president China, Montreal will serve as host due to Chinese anti-COVID policies. The goal of COP15 is to coordinate global efforts towards preventing the loss of biodiversity and ecological protection.
Expect a rocky path ahead of COP15 with specific concerns around China downplaying environmental issues, shown by them not inviting world leaders. The lack of world leaders would likely lower media coverage of the conference, leading to less pressure on nations to come to an agreement. However, only inviting ministers and NGO heads may also be to cover up the expected absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Participating governments are meant to finalize an agreement to mitigate environmental degradation. Yet, disputes over funding and specifications on protected areas lower the likelihood of a comprehensive agreement by year’s end. With developed countries pushing for a 30% land and sea protection quota, developing nations continue to voice concerns about the economic impact of conservation efforts.
