The World Conference on Nature in Montreal is set to become a historic moment in international wildlife conservation if states can reach a strong and binding agreement. Negotiations lasted two weeks and, at times, heated discussions, and on Monday night an agreement was reached on the long-awaited historic pact by nature. The new strategy aims to stop the loss of biodiversity by 2030. 22 objectives were agreed, such as:
goal 2 stipulates the restoration of 30 percent of areas important for biodiversity on land, inland wetlands, and coastal and marine ecosystems by 2030.
goal 3 wants to protect at least 30% of land area and wetlands, coasts and marine areas by 2030 through protected areas and other effective protection measures.
goal 5 and goal 6 are intended to ensure that wild species are sustainably used and maintained and that the impact of invasive alien species on biodiversity is reduced or eliminated.
goal 8 predicts that the impacts of climate change on biodiversity can be mitigated through nature-based solutions – such as, for example, B. the protection of wetlands and other CO2 storage ecosystems – are minimised.
NGOs recognized the result, but criticisms were leveled: “Species protection is no longer just about colorful butterflies and beautiful gardens, but about our livelihoods”, says Ursula Bittner of Greenpeace. According to expert Karim Ben Romdhane, the WWF sees an “incomplete agreement that is useful in essential points”.
Austrian Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler, who had to leave for the Council of Ministers for Energy in Brussels shortly before the end, was pleased: “But let’s not forget: we need nature more than nature needs us. that is why we are obliged to protect and preserve them. Now the implementation begins.”