Winnipeg is a signatory to the Montreal Pledge along with 63 cities from across the globe and many from Canada that have committed to the Montreal Pledge – Cities United in Action for Biodiversity, based on the United Nations Global Biodiversity Framework.
montreal.ca/en/articles/montreal-pledge-call-cop15-launched-to-worlds-cities-39529
montreal.ca/en/articles/montreal-pledge-call-cop15-launched-to-worlds-cities-39529
Why the Montreal Pledge matters - The world is losing biodiversity at an alarming rate. Biodiversity is necessary for the existence of life on earth. Biodiversity and climate change are linked. Cities have a large role to play in protecting biodiversity.
At the 2022 COP 15 meetings, host city Montreal, challenged cities around the world to commit to its pledge to take 15 practical actions that will help to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. This is your chance to support this important step in making Winnipeg a greener, more biodiverse and climate resilient city.
On July 17, 2023 Winnipeg City Council voted to sign the Montreal Pledge - Cities United in Action for Biodiversity
Key Links
Montréal Pledge https://montreal.ca/en/articles/montreal-pledge-call-cop15-launched-to-worlds-cities-39529
Cities with Nature Action Platform https://citieswithnature.org/introducing-the-citieswithnature-action-platform/
Final Text of Global Biodiversity Framework https://prod.drupal.www.infra.cbd.int/sites/default/files/2022-12/221222-CBD-PressRelease-COP15-Final.pdf
Global Biodiversity Framework, COP15 background https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf
At the 2022 COP 15 meetings, host city Montreal, challenged cities around the world to commit to its pledge to take 15 practical actions that will help to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. This is your chance to support this important step in making Winnipeg a greener, more biodiverse and climate resilient city.
On July 17, 2023 Winnipeg City Council voted to sign the Montreal Pledge - Cities United in Action for Biodiversity
Key Links
Montréal Pledge https://montreal.ca/en/articles/montreal-pledge-call-cop15-launched-to-worlds-cities-39529
Cities with Nature Action Platform https://citieswithnature.org/introducing-the-citieswithnature-action-platform/
Final Text of Global Biodiversity Framework https://prod.drupal.www.infra.cbd.int/sites/default/files/2022-12/221222-CBD-PressRelease-COP15-Final.pdf
Global Biodiversity Framework, COP15 background https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf
You may send emails to the full list or to individuals
Mayor Scott Gillingham <[email protected]>, John Orlikow <[email protected]>,Cindy Gilroy <[email protected]>,Brian Mayes <[email protected]>,Markus Chambers <[email protected]>,Matt Allard <[email protected]>,Russ Wyatt <[email protected]>,Jeff Browaty <[email protected]>,Jason Schreyer <[email protected]>,Ross Eadie <[email protected]>,Vivian Santos <[email protected]>,Devi Sharma <[email protected]>,Janice Lukes <[email protected]>,Shawn Dobson <[email protected]>,Sherri Rollins <[email protected]>,Evan Duncan <[email protected]>, OURS-Winnipeg <[email protected]>
Mayor Scott Gillingham [email protected]
Brian Mayes [email protected]
Markus Chambers [email protected]
Matt Allard [email protected]
Russ Wyatt [email protected]
Jeff Browaty [email protected]
Jason Schreyer [email protected]
Ross Eadie [email protected]
Vivian Santos [email protected]
Devi Sharma [email protected]
Janice Lukes [email protected]
Shawn Dobson [email protected]
Sherri Rollins [email protected]
Cindy Gilroy [email protected]
Evan Duncan [email protected]
John Orlikow [email protected]
OURS-Winnipeg [email protected]
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List of 2022 - 2026 City Council
To:
Re: Montreal Pledge, Cities United in Action for Biodiversity
Dear Mayor Gillingham and Councillors
I am writing to urge you support the June 23rd motion that the City of Winnipeg become the 12th Canadian city to sign The Montreal Biodiversity Pledge.
Biodiversity loss is the third most severe threat humanity will face over the next decade. There has already been a staggering 69% loss in wildlife populations worldwide and vast swaths of habitat have been destroyed, both within city boundaries and beyond.
At recent meetings at COP 15 it was acknowledged that cities are major contributors to biodiversity loss, and its City Summit took a leading role in formulating solutions to halt that loss, begin its restoration, and limit the negative impacts cities have on the environment.
As host city, Montreal challenged cities and municipalities around the world to sign the “Montreal Pledge,” which contains 15 actions to protect urban biodiversity and ecosystems.
Within two months of the Montreal COP15 meeting in December2022, 11 Canadian and 47 international cities signed the Montreal Pledge. https://montreal.ca/en/articles/montreal-pledge-call-cop15-launched-to-worlds-cities-39529
Signing the Montreal Pledge provides participating cities like ours an opportunity to learn and grow with other cities that have signed the pledge and receive international, national, and most importantly, local public recognition for those efforts.
Signing the Pledge will also serve to highlight the positive initiatives Winnipeg is already undertaking that will help to meet the targets and goals of the pledge. For example, the development of the new Master Greenspace and Natural Corridors Plan and Biodiversity Policy will address many of the goals in the Pledge, including the expansion city greenspace. Additional City of Winnipeg initiatives, among them the Parks Strategy, the 20 Year Urban Forest Strategy, the Climate Action Plan and Indigenous consultation efforts by the city will contribute to meeting Pledge goals.
By signing the Montreal Pledge, the City of Winnipeg will clearly demonstrate its strong support for the primary goals of COP15 and reinforce the city’s commitment to transform Winnipeg into a greener, healthier, more just and biodiverse city.
Name
Historic Biodiversity Agreement reached at COP15 - Conference of the Parties - December 2022 - Montreal, Canada
A landmark, global Biodiversity agreement was approved by almost every country in the world at COP15 in December 2022. The “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” (GBF) contains goals and targets and a time-line for halting the loss of biodiversity and beginning restoration.
At COP15, cities were brought to the forefront of conversations on how to protect life on Earth.
UN Convention on Biological Diversity, COP15 Goals and Targets:
https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-cbd-press-release-final-19dec2022
A few of the 4 Goals and 23 Targets to be achieved for the decade ending in 2030:
In addition to tackling the causes of biodiversity loss worldwide, the Biodiversity Framework includes wide-ranging steps including climate change and pollution.
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity#:~:text=When%20land%20is%20converted%20for,freshwater%20ecosystems%20around%20the%20world
Montreal calls on all cities to sign its Pledge to commit to the UN goals and targets. https://montreal.ca/en/articles/montreal-pledge-call-cop15-launched-to-worlds-cities-39529
In consideration of the consensus of almost every country in the world that biodiversity loss is harming the existence of life on earth and action is urgently required, it would be prudent for the City to include the United Nations COP15 goals and targets in its strategic planning and budget process beginning now and for the future.
UN Biodiversity Conference - History
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was first signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Its main objectives are: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of the components of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The CBD is dedicated to promoting sustainable development and the Convention recognizes that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and micro organisms and their ecosystems – it is about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live. The CBD Secretariat is located in Montréal, Quebec.
Governments deal with climate change and biodiversity through two different international agreements – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), both established at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
Similar to the historic Paris Agreement made in 2015 under the UNFCCC, parties to the Biodiversity Convention in December 2022 adopted an agreement for nature, known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which succeeds the Aichi Biodiversity Targets adopted in 2010.
A landmark, global Biodiversity agreement was approved by almost every country in the world at COP15 in December 2022. The “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” (GBF) contains goals and targets and a time-line for halting the loss of biodiversity and beginning restoration.
At COP15, cities were brought to the forefront of conversations on how to protect life on Earth.
UN Convention on Biological Diversity, COP15 Goals and Targets:
https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-cbd-press-release-final-19dec2022
A few of the 4 Goals and 23 Targets to be achieved for the decade ending in 2030:
- Respect the rights of indigenous peoples
- Increase green and blue spaces and connectivity in urban areas by mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and ensure biodiversity-inclusive urban planning.
- Reduce pollution, reduce use of pesticides and hazardous chemicals
- Eliminate, minimize, reduce and or mitigate the impacts of invasive alien species on biodiversity
- Integrate biodiversity values into policies, regulations, planning and development processes, poverty eradication strategies, strategic environmental assessments, environmental impact assessments across all levels of government and across all sectors, in particular those with significant impacts on biodiversity, progressively aligning all relevant public and private activities, fiscal and financial flows with the goals and targets of this framework.
- Ensure that the best available data, information and knowledge, are accessible to decision makers, practitioners and the public
- Adequate means of implementation, including financial resources
In addition to tackling the causes of biodiversity loss worldwide, the Biodiversity Framework includes wide-ranging steps including climate change and pollution.
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity#:~:text=When%20land%20is%20converted%20for,freshwater%20ecosystems%20around%20the%20world
Montreal calls on all cities to sign its Pledge to commit to the UN goals and targets. https://montreal.ca/en/articles/montreal-pledge-call-cop15-launched-to-worlds-cities-39529
In consideration of the consensus of almost every country in the world that biodiversity loss is harming the existence of life on earth and action is urgently required, it would be prudent for the City to include the United Nations COP15 goals and targets in its strategic planning and budget process beginning now and for the future.
UN Biodiversity Conference - History
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was first signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Its main objectives are: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of the components of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The CBD is dedicated to promoting sustainable development and the Convention recognizes that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and micro organisms and their ecosystems – it is about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live. The CBD Secretariat is located in Montréal, Quebec.
Governments deal with climate change and biodiversity through two different international agreements – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), both established at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
Similar to the historic Paris Agreement made in 2015 under the UNFCCC, parties to the Biodiversity Convention in December 2022 adopted an agreement for nature, known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which succeeds the Aichi Biodiversity Targets adopted in 2010.
On April 11 a motion for Winnipeg to become a signatory to the Montreal Pledge was posted on the Water Waste and Environment (WWE) Agenda for a vote next Monday April 17, https://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/DMIS/ViewDoc.asp?DocId=23615&SectionId=&InitUrl= . Submissions from the public to support the motion have to be posted to the City website no later than this Friday April 14 at NOON.
The Committee needs to hear from the public to be encouraged to go ahead with this historical and game changing motion.
If you already sent a letter to the Mayor and Councillors we thank you very much. Your letters of support for the Pledge motion could now be submitted to the City Clerk’s office as per below.
To submit your comments/letter or if you wish to Speak to the WWE City Meeting use the form at the link below.
https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/shared/mailforms/clerks/Delegation/contact.asp
Fill in your name and other required information on the first page of the form then hit the ‘Next’ tab to go to the Delegation Information page.
Under the headings fill in the information as shown below.
Delegation information
1. Committee you want to address:
April 17, 2023 Standing Policy Committee on Water, Waste and Environment Special Meeting Agenda
2. Agenda Item you want to address (number and title):
6. The Montreal Pledge – Cities United in Action for Biodiversity
3. Check which box you want to do, i.e., Register as a delegation (do presentation to the committee) or Submit comments in writing.
4. Begin your submission with:
This submission is in support of Winnipeg becoming a signatory to the Montreal Pledge for cities united in action for biodiversity
To help with your submission some content ideas may include:
The Committee needs to hear from the public to be encouraged to go ahead with this historical and game changing motion.
If you already sent a letter to the Mayor and Councillors we thank you very much. Your letters of support for the Pledge motion could now be submitted to the City Clerk’s office as per below.
To submit your comments/letter or if you wish to Speak to the WWE City Meeting use the form at the link below.
https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/shared/mailforms/clerks/Delegation/contact.asp
Fill in your name and other required information on the first page of the form then hit the ‘Next’ tab to go to the Delegation Information page.
Under the headings fill in the information as shown below.
Delegation information
1. Committee you want to address:
April 17, 2023 Standing Policy Committee on Water, Waste and Environment Special Meeting Agenda
2. Agenda Item you want to address (number and title):
6. The Montreal Pledge – Cities United in Action for Biodiversity
3. Check which box you want to do, i.e., Register as a delegation (do presentation to the committee) or Submit comments in writing.
4. Begin your submission with:
This submission is in support of Winnipeg becoming a signatory to the Montreal Pledge for cities united in action for biodiversity
To help with your submission some content ideas may include:
- Freely use the sample template letter provided
- Montreal Pledge - Are there one, two or more of the 15 items from the pledge that resonate with you/your group?
- What you would like to let the WWE committee know
- What you and/or your group are doing to support nature/biodiversity,
- you would like to see happen,
- your concerns,
- Why is it important to you, to future generations
| vdm_montreal-pledge_2022.pdf |
