Nations vow to safeguard biodiversity

A coalition of at least 50 countries has committed to protect 30% of the planet, including land and sea, over the decade in efforts to halt species extinction and address climate change issues, during a global summit aimed at protecting the world’s biodiversity.

About 30 leaders, government officials and heads of international organizations participated in the One Planet Summit on Monday, which was held by video because of the pandemic.

French President Emmanuel Macron notably announced that the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which was proposed in 2019 by Costa Rica, France and Britain to set a target of protecting at least 30% of the planet by 2030, has now been joined by 50 countries.

A 2019 U. N. report on biodiversity showed that human activities are putting nature in more trouble now than at any other time in human history, with extinction looming over 1 million species of plants and animals.

The oneday summit focused on four major topics: protecting terrestrial and marine ecosystems; promoting agroecology, a more sustainable way to grow food; increasing funding to protect biodiversity; and identifying links between deforestation and the health of humans and animals.

Other leaders attending were German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. China, represented by Vice Premier Han Zheng, agreed that “collective efforts” are needed. The event, organized by France, the United Nations and the World Bank, took place in the absence of top officials from the United States.