Why the Cop15 biodiversity discussions matter for us all

We depend on nature but too often we take it for granted. Cop15 should be given the attention it deserves, writes Chris Blackhurst

Soon, company bosses will be expected to have taken on board Montreal 2022 (AFP/Getty)

Blink and you could miss it. Not so long ago, the Cop27 climate conference was centre stage. For weeks, it was headline news. Sad to note, then, that the Cop15 biodiversity discussions, taking place right now in Montreal, are not being afforded the same amount of attention.

The gathering is scheduled to finish on 19 December, having commenced on 7 December, yet Cop15 has not featured heavily, if at all, in the mainstream press. Which is puzzling and disconcerting, because its central theme is just as vital to the long-term health and wellbeing of our planet, and of humankind.

It’s concerning, too, that business sections in particular are not devoting more coverage to Cop15, given that so much of what is being pored over, and the likely subsequent agreement, will affect how companies operate in future.