A Paris moment for nature.
What If COP15 Montreal could cultivate a regenerative built environment.
Welcome to Regen/Notes
COP15 and loss of biodiversity is having a bit of a mini moment here in the UK, with features in weekend papers ( a special Guardian supplement, mentions on radio magazine programmes and a key focus at Kew Gardens (Kew - Explained: What is COP15 and why is it important?) Perhaps not so surprising as GlobeScan reports that 91% of consumers in the UK feel the state of nature is worrying, alarming or catastrophic.
COP15 the nature equivalent to the carbon focus COP 27 (and arguably the more important as we are experiencing the sixth mass extinction of species) meets in Montreal in December. Just under 200 countries will come together to discuss and agree on protecting and regenerating nature.
And hence closer to the regenerative holistic paradigm in working with place and living systems to enable all life to thrive, than COP27 was.
With COP15 billed to be the “Paris moment for nature”, key agreements and targets to watch for, that could cultivate a step up for a regenerative built environment with very interesting implications …
being nature positive by 2030. The next net zero.
🏠 Building projects have a nature-positive objective.
30x30 - a commitment to increasing protected wild areas to 30% by 2030
🏠 At least 30% of a project area protected for nature
mandatory nature disclosures for businesses.
🏠 Mandatory project nature disclosures ((section 106 in UK?)
public and private investment in nature-based solutions (and that’s not just using natural materials such as timber, but solutions that are symbiotic with nature)
🏠 Biophilic-based solutions for buildings and construction facilities
repurposing the £500 billion environmentally harmful subsidies into restorative subsidies
🏠 Harmful construction related grants repurposed to restore to the environment
Voice of Nature.
Working with nature she will do the decarbonisation heavy lifting for us. (Martin Brown @ COP27)
We depend entirely on nature. Why then has nature no real voice in our organisations and projects? As a director (Faith in Nature), as a stake/shareholder (Patagonia), as an interested party (ISO14001), or as a legal entity as occurs around the world.
To do …
🏠 Start to explore, detail and act on a nature-positive roadmap for your organisation, and combine it with your carbon roadmap.
🏠 Make nature part of your business.
Related News
Chris Packham is urging the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, to attend a key nature summit to protect the planet for the sake of his great-grandchildren because we are “very close to the point of no return”. Guardian
The global summit is 'last chance for nature BBC
From LEED to Living Buildings: Zoom Regenerative 51
The next Zoom Regen edition is with long time friend, supporter and pollinator Luis Huertas on December 13th at 8pm UK, sharing insights and reflections on the journey from Seed to Living Buildings.
Social ?
Uncertain where twitter is going under new management, I increasingly feel uncomfortable in supporting Musk’s illusion of a town hall community. As
commented over on his The Crucial Years substack post:Given that every aspect of the climate crisis demands communication, Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter is a real problem. There's an undeniable chimp-with-a-chainsaw horrified fascination in watching him try to handle it (and, one hopes, an enduring and salutary proof of the fact that billionaires are not geniuses), but so far he has managed to turn an imperfect communications system into a dismal swamp.
As part of that transition away form twitter (or if I need to leave altogether) I now have a presence on the federated metaverse, or fediverse, Mastodon as @fairsnape@ecoevo.social. Drop by and say hello. Since being active there I have discovered wonderful communites sharing under hashtags such as #fungifriday #weekendweeds and #lichensubscribe. Ok not earth saving stuff, but important in noticing, connecting and celebrating nature, and somehow it feels a calmer space. And with 500 characters rather than 240 more space to share.
And of course there is the Substack Chat - exclusive for subscribers to Regen Notes Join us, say hi, and if you have any issues, check out Substack’s FAQ.
Martin