Join us for a conversation with Louisa Durkin, a member of the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre and biodiversity and agrifood systems analyst at Metabolic, on the rights of nature and the upcoming COP15. How can we protect the rights of nature and advocate for a “Paris Agreement” for biodiversity?

What does it mean to give nature rights? In 2019, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) described the approximately one million species at risk and the need for transformative change toward humans' relationship with nature. What does transformative change look like? In essence, it looks like the intentional ways in which we value and protect nature. Ecuador, Bolivia, and New Zealand already understand that nature has inherent value and should be given rights: these countries are granting rights to rivers and ecosystems, and there are tribunals and people to speak up for and defend these natural systems before decisions are made that impact them. Could this be a paradigm shift? The Convention on Biological Diversity's COP15 will be held this May. The goal is to create a Paris-style agreement specifically for nature – one that countries can sign onto, making them responsible and accountable for maintaining healthy natural environments all over the globe.