The United Nations is calling for world governments to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030 in order to stop the rapid loss of biodiversity, restore ecosystem functions, and help stave off the worst impacts of climate change. At least 10 percent of this area — both land and ocean — should be placed under “strict protection,” according to the UN.
The proposal, created by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), also calls for a reduction in nutrient and plastic pollution by at least half over the next decade.
“If adopted, this target could achieve what our children have been calling on governments to do — listen to the science,” Enric Sala, explorer-in-residence at National Geographic and co-author of the Global Deal for Nature, said in a statement. “But this is the floor, not the ceiling. Now every government on earth must get behind this bold mission and drive through a global agreement for nature this year.”
Read more at Yale Environment 360
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