Suncor Sustainability Specialist Shares His Experience From COP15, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity
Mark Boulton, a Specialist Sustainability Advisor at Suncor, attended the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, COP15, held in Montreal, Canada. The convention focused on achieving biodiversity targets and negotiating a global biodiversity framework.
Mark noticed that industries, including Canada's energy sector, are increasingly being seen as a part of the solution to achieve these targets. He observed that industry having a role in achieving biodiversity targets was a consistent theme throughout COP15.
The term "nature positive" was talked about and it got Mark thinking about what it actually means and how can companies like Suncor achieve it. He highlighted the complexity involved in achieving it and the need for a deeper understanding of the term. He also considered the challenges of defining biodiversity, for example, how to define the importance of a caribou compared to a Canadian toad or a fungus that lives within the roots of a tree.
Suncor has made progress in this area and continues to do so as it works with organizations such as the Alberta Conservation Association and as a member of Ipieca. Suncor continues to work on balancing disturbance with reclamation, conservation, and protection.
