Nearly a third of the planet will be “protected” by 2030 under a new deal struck at the UN’s COP15 biodiversity summit.
Delegates at the “last chance” conference, in Canada, have pledged that at least 30% of the world’s land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans will come under conservation in the next eight years.
Currently, 17% and 10% of the world’s terrestrial and marine areas respectively are under protection.
Countries taking part in the UN biodiversity conference agreed to a total of 23 targets, including halving global food waste and slashing government subsidies that harm nature by £400m by the end of the decade.
Csaba Korosi, right, 77th president of the United Nations General Assembly, speaks at the COP15 biodiversity conference. Pic: AP
It comes after a late objection from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who raised concerns about developed nations’ responsibility to fund conservation in developing countries.
Delegates from the African nation had suggested that developed nations should “provide resources” to developing nations to help aid their conservation efforts.
But the deal was passed by the chair of the conference, Chinese minister of ecology and environment, Huang Runqiu, on Monday morning.
The conference has been chaired by China, but is being held in Canada due to strict COVID-19 restrictions in the host nation.
The deal has been praised by some, including Sue Lieberman, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, who said it had really positive elements.
But others questioned if it had gone far enough, with Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, describing the deal as “too weak”.
He tweeted: “End game in Montreal, but plans too weak, including 30% target, which now not 30% protected on land & 30% on sea but 30% overall.
“Also species content too weak on extinction & abundance. Calls for ambition on finance must be matched by stronger ambition for nature recovery.”
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