Activists dressed as birds and trees demonstrate for nature at COP15

Hundreds of activists, on Saturday, marched through the streets of Montreal in costumes to look like birds, trees and caribou, demanding a strong new deal to protect nature worldwide. Montreal is hosting the COP15 which is a two-week summit. Activists, who wore costumes resembling birds, trees and caribou, said the COP15 summit could not live up to the urgency of the problem as about 1 million plant, insect and other animal species are now threatened with extinction.

Indigenous women sing the Warrior Song at the front of the march. No nature protection without Indigenous women. #COP15 #ProtectNature pic.twitter.com/OYjeNBW42r

— Greenpeace Canada (@GreenpeaceCA) December 10, 2022

The activists marched through the streets amidst sub-zero temperatures saying the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) could fail to meet the urgency of the issue, with about 1 million plant, insect and other animal species now threatened with extinction. “We are in the middle of negotiations, we are seeing what is happening and it is clearly not enough compared to our ambitions and priorities,” said Esmeralda Wirtz of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network, who traveled from Belgium to attend the summit. "That’s why it’s important to be on the road."

Protestors gathering for a sunny but crisp march through Montreal during #COP15.

Some colourful ribbons, hats and animal costumes surround the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Monument as demonstrators prepare to march towards the conference centre. pic.twitter.com/xO3KoRWMCF

— Jack Graham (@jacktgraham) December 10, 2022

Delegates from 193 countries are considering 24 targets at the summit, including reducing pollution and protecting 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030.  Oscar Soria, campaign manager at Avaaz, said thatthe governments have had years to come up with the agreement we need to save our planet’s biodiversity from extinction, they turned COP15 into a stalemate.