COP15 ‒ 15_th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held in Montreal, Canada, 7-19 December 2022

At COP15, participants adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework 2030, which details global goals for preserving nature and halting and reversing biodiversity loss.peatland biodiversity as well as the successful restoration of disturbed peatlands using the method developed by PERG members and their partners in the Canadian peat industry were featured at this conference.

In particular, a booth and a poster were displayed at the COP15 Public Action Zone at the Grand Quai of the Port of Montreal on December 10 and 11 (organized by Réseau Environnement). Line Rochefort (U. Laval) and Chao Liu (postdoctoral fellow, U. Laval) also participated in the 3^rd Forum on Sino-Quebec Cooperation (FCSQ) organized by the Consulate General of China in Montreal, in the framework of COP15, on December 7 and 8. Finally, Line Rochefort presented a conference on December 14 on peatlands and wetlands: role and restoration, at the COP15 Public Action Zone.

^{The booth at the Public Action Zone of COP15}

^{Chao Liu, Gwendal Breton, Camille Boucher, Line Rochefort and the organizer of Réseau Environnement}

COP 27 ‒ United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, November 6-20, 2022

Knowing how crucial peatlands are to carbon sequestration, the Global Peatlands Assessment: The State of the World’s Peatlands (GPA) was presented on November 17, 2022 at COP 27 (see video of the presentation here).

This 418-page document is the most comprehensive assessment of peatlands to date. It was prepared by a group of 226 contributors from all regions of the world, under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme. It provides information on what peatlands are, where they are, what condition they are in, and how actions can be taken to protect, restore and sustainably manage them. 

There is an entire section on peatlands in North America. This is Chapter 7: Regional Assessment for North America (pp. 193 to 220). Several PERG members and collaborators participated in the writing and editing of this chapter.  Line Rochefort (U. Laval), Maria Strack (U. of Waterloo) and Rodney Chimner (Michigan Technological U.) are the Coordinating Lead Authors. Other contributing authors include Mélina Guêné-Nanchen (U. Laval), Julie Talbot (U. de Montréal) and Bin Xu (NAIT Boreal Research).

 A Summary for Policy Makers has also been published.

COP 14 ‒ 14th Session of the Conference of the Contracting Parties of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention), held in hybrid mode in Wuhan (China) and Geneva (Switzerland) from 5 to 13 November 2022

At this COP 14 in Geneva, Line Rochefort (U. Laval) was the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) National Correspondent for Canada. She participated in the many discussions and, on November 9, she spoke on behalf of Canada in front of 172 countries. COP 14 resulted in the adoption of 21 resolutions for more action for wetlands, humanity and nature (which you can read here).