The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a global treaty from the early 1990s with 196 signatory nations. It’s the only treaty that protects all of nature worldwide, and it aims to link biodiversity protection with healthy climate protection (think, for example, of forest protection). The United States has never joined the Convention.

In spring 2021, there’ll be a conference of the parties to the treaty, when they’ll work on a post-2020 global biological diversity framework. See here and here. We need strong voices in support of environmental and climate-protective policies to take part in these negotiations.

Subnational governments can’t be full negotiating members at the conference, but they can participate as officially designated Observers. No state in the US has signed up to do this, so California would be the first to do so, sending a message to the world that California leads the US in protecting ecosystems, the climate, and human health. Where California leads, other states, cities, and counties will follow.