Nations agree to protect a third of planet by 2030

The United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Montreal has resulted in an agreement for participating nations to protect 30% of the planet by 2030. The conference, known also as Cop15, intends to reverse the biodiversity loss Earth has experienced in recent decades by protecting lands and oceans. This agreement includes the reformation of subsidies amounting to $5 billion that damage the environment. It also emphasizes the large role Indigenous cultures play around the world in safeguarding nature. The agreement didn’t occur without controversy, as China’s environmental minister declared the deal done despite objections from the Democratic Republic of the Congo about how more developed nations have responsibility to fund conservation in poorer countries. The agreement is not legally binding.

Read more at The Guardian.