CBD COP 15 : A historic agreement for global biodiversity!

Posted on 19 December 2022

The world has reached a historic agreement to conserve and restore the world's biodiversity and its resources essential to humanity.

The "Kunming-Montreal Agreement" was adopted by 196 countries on Monday, December 19, 2022 in Montreal during CBD COP15, the 15th United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity.

This agreement is the culmination of four long years of negotiations and days of diplomatic discussions that began in 2018. The world has reached a historic agreement to conserve and restore the planet's biodiversity and its resources essential to humanity. Some 20 measures were agreed upon by the states to ensure a nature positive world by 2030, including the "30x30" goal: to protect 30% of the planet's land and marine areas and restore 30% of degraded land by 2030. Countries have also committed to creating protected areas on 30% of the planet.

Fenohery Rakotondrasoa, Conservation Manager at WWF Madagascar said: "The Kunming-Montreal agreement represents a major step for the future of our unique biodiversity. In concrete terms, we need to work together to maintain the integrity, connectivity and resilience of all of Madagascar's ecosystems. We must continue our efforts to restore degraded landscapes and strengthen our ecosystems, especially through our terrestrial and marine protected area networks. And it is essential to reduce threats and pressures on biodiversity if we are to contribute effectively to a nature positive Madagascar by 2030. As a historical actor of conservation in Madagascar, WWF stands ready to support and accompany the implementation of our country's commitments to biodiversity."

Voahirana Randriambola, Coordinator of WWF Madagascar's Policy and Technical expertise Unit said, "All countries in the world must now respect the Kunming-Montreal agreement. This includes translating it into ambitious national plans and policies. Countries must update their national strategies and action plans to align with the global target of reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. We are aware that the government of Madagascar will not be able to implement any of this without adequate support to accompany its efforts. An ambitious Kunming-Montreal agreement, consistent with the biodiversity emergency, will require the world to mobilize the necessary public and private funding, internationally."

Two years later than expected, due to delays caused by the Covid19 pandemic, WWF welcomes the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal agreement, committing the world to halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 - a global goal hailed as the equivalent of Paris agreement on climate to limit global warming to 1.5°C in 2015.