Beyond Montreal: a year on has the world lived up to the promises made at nature summit?

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: The United Nations’ acting biodiversity chief warns that the historic agreement reached at last year's COP15 needs full implementation to avoid a repeat of past failures in addressing nature loss

🔭 The context: At the COP15 summit in Montreal, countries agreed to ambitious targets like protecting 30% of the planet for nature and reforming harmful subsidies
• The Kunming-Montreal framework, aimed at integrating biodiversity and climate change initiatives, gained recognition at the COP28 climate negotiations, linking biodiversity targets with national climate action plans

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The UN's biodiversity chief stresses the importance of addressing all drivers of biodiversity loss, not just focusing on single targets
• Effective action against habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change is essential for halting biodiversity loss and preserving ecosystems, which are crucial for global environmental stability and human well-being

⏭️ What's next: Before COP16, countries are expected to outline their plans for achieving this decade's biodiversity targets
• Colombia's commitment to base its economy on biodiversity, and the growing international support for protecting 30% of land and sea, signal positive momentum towards achieving these goals

💬 One quote: "I think it’s starting to sink in that nature is not about environmental protection, it is about security and stability" (Johan Rockström, climate scientist)

📈 One stat: Two million species are currently at risk of extinction, highlighting the critical need for concerted global action to preserve biodiversity

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