Actuality¹⁴⁸

From COP27 to COP15, Challenges and Lessons

CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Par

Alyssa Boily-Simard

JCCM

What is a COP?

On December 13th, our webinar on COP27 and COP15 took place. During this meeting, our three invited speakers, Leïla Cantave, co-founder of the organization Black Eco Bloom, Albert Lalonde, project manager at the Climate Consciousness Laboratory of the David Suzuki Foundation, and Philippe Poitras, co-founder of Unpointcinq and Futur Simple Cooperative, discussed together the challenges and lessons surrounding these significant events.

A COP (Conference Of Parties) is an international negotiation event where states come together to set climate and environmental objectives. In the field of the environment, there are three COPs, namely the COP on biodiversity, the COP on combating desertification, and the COP on climate change.

COP27, which took place last November, focused on climate change. COP15, on the other hand, is concerned with biodiversity diversity and protection.

Who participates in the COP?

The participants in COPs are primarily the signatory countries, meaning the countries that sign the agreements and conventions. However, several influential groups are also present to join the discussions with the aim of ensuring representative negotiations involving all stakeholders (youth, women, indigenous peoples, NGOs, educational institutions, local governments, etc.).

Major Achievements and Impacts of COP27 in Canada and Quebec

The recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) concluded with a decisive agreement to provide financing for loss and damage, which refers to the damages caused by climate change, to more vulnerable or developing countries. According to Leïla Cantave, this is also a victory for civil society.

For Albert Lalonde, this victory also echoes the hundreds of billions of dollars that will need to be paid to compensate for loss and damage by 2030. Once disasters occur, it's already too late. So, the question that needs to be asked is: how can we prevent them?

It is essential for managers or entrepreneurs to have a good understanding of the concepts and the current situation's context. Assimilating the major regulatory frameworks influenced by the COPs, being able to navigate different concepts, and, most importantly, knowing what to prioritize within one's organization are crucial.

Regarding COP15, the main objectives relevant to businesses often revolve around disclosure and transparency of data. If companies cannot comprehend their real impacts, it becomes impossible to take concrete actions.

"Every business, small or large, created or managed by an entrepreneur, must consider climate and environmental responsibility in its business plan. It is essential to first show interest and try to understand in order to make informed decisions."

-Philippe Poitras, co-founder of Unpointcinq and Futur Simple solidarity cooperative

How can the business next generation get involved in negotiations?

According to Albert, change is very much cultural. Today, market logics alone are no longer sufficient to understand society and how the planet operates. Capitalist economics has always treated environmental and social damage as externalities that businesses can choose to be concerned about or not.

However, as human beings who are part of biodiversity, we do not have the luxury of choosing whether to care about or ignore the climate crisis. Therefore, it is essential to think about how to change the paradigm.

Leïla believes that the younger generation has the power to mobilize by partnering with other communities or groups with similar values. It can be as simple as having conversations with like-minded people.

"It is crucial for the business next generation to identify the impact their organization has on the ecosystem and the environment and address these impacts immediately. It should be a central element within your company."
-Albert Lalonde, Project Manager at the David Suzuki Foundation's Climate Awareness Lab

Finally, Philippe concludes that it is the responsibility of the business next generation to educate themselves on these numerous issues. In his opinion, as long as entrepreneurs and managers do not take this responsibility seriously, they will not be able to bridge the gap between the ideal to be achieved and the necessary actions to get there.

The Webinar in Replay!

Would you like to watch the complete webinar to demystify the issues surrounding climate justice, austerity, and resilience in the business world? You can do so right here!