The most important global summit for nature in decades – the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, also known as COP15 – starts in Canada on 7th December. What happens there will directly affect wildlife in Cornwall.
The conference comes at a time when the latest study suggests the Earth’s wildlife has plummeted by almost 70% in the last 50 years. The state of nature in Cornwall is not much better and recent Government action and inaction threatens to make a bad situation even worse. This will diminish the UK’s power to negotiate.
The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world – and in Cornwall, wildlife has suffered over recent decades for a number of reasons. Between 2002-2019, Cornwall’s human population grew by almost 13%, leading to more development. Consumer demand has meant that much of Cornwall’s farmland – 75% of Cornwall – has been farmed more intensively. Climate change means the average temperature in the county has increased by nearly 1°C in last 35 years.