In the Canadian city of Montreal, delegates from nearly 200 countries participating in the UN Conference on Biodiversity, known as COP15, reached an agreement to protect at least 30% of the land and oceans considered important for biodiversity by 2030.
The historic agreement aims to halt the planet’s sixth mass extinction, which is currently underway due to human activity.
As part of the agreement, indigenous communities will have a greater role in protecting wildlife. Lands inhabited by indigenous peoples are home to 80% of the planet’s remaining biodiversity.
The World Wildlife Fund called the agreement “a victory for people and the planet”.
However, the Wildlife Conservation Society criticised it for setting deadlines for 2050, writing: “It will be too late for us to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and address the challenges related to [biodiversity loss], such as climate change.
