Issue - A desperate need for action
Issue - A desperate need for action
Nature is in danger like never before, with one million species in the world now threatened with extinction. The average size of wildlife populations has fallen by a staggering 73% since 1970.
The degradation of nature stems from increasing demands for energy, food and other materials because of rapid economic growth, unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, international trade, and choices of technology - especially over the last 50 years.
Land-use change is still the biggest current threat to nature, destroying or fragmenting the natural habitats of many plant and animal species. However, if we are unable to limit warming to 1.5°C, climate change is likely to become the dominant cause of biodiversity loss in the coming decades.
Solution - A landmark agreement
Solution - A landmark agreement
The UN Biodiversity Summit or COP15 (15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Biodiversity Convention) brought together 196 governments and thousands of civil society representatives in 2022 to agree to a global deal to halt and reverse nature loss this decade.
The resulting “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” contains a series of goals, targets, and measures to tackle the biodiversity crisis.
Result - "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework"
Result - "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework"
The framework commits governments to conserve at least 30% of land, freshwater and ocean globally, while respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and recognizing the contributions of Indigenous and traditional territories towards delivering this new target.
It also commits governments to eliminate subsidies harmful to nature − and to increase financial support for conservation efforts by 2030, mobilizing at least $200bn (almost £170bn) per year.
To help achieve this landmark agreement, WWF has been working with the public, businesses, and governments since 2016. Over the last 6 years, we have organized marches, digital campaigns reaching over 100 million people, and focused on influencing high-level politicians such as UK Prime Ministers, Secretary of States and Ministers.
Although the Global Biodiversity Framework has now been adopted, our work isn’t over. We will shine a spotlight on the urgent need to implement this new deal for nature and people, as well as continue to hold governments accountable.