“The most important conservation agreement in history” reached after Montreal’s COP15

30% of the world’s high seas will be protected by 2030 as per a new UN treaty.

A UN treaty to protect 30% of the world’s high seas (which make up two thirds of our oceans) has been reached in New York City — a conservation agreement that achieves a goal set during the COP15 biodiversity conference in Montreal in December. Greenpeace Canada calls this “the most important conservation agreement in history.”

Though the treaty — 15 years in the making — still needs to be ratified, all the UN’s member countries have agreed on an unprecedented legally binding mechanism to conserve and protect high seas, ie. marine areas located 370 kilometres off the coast. Following the treaty’s ratification, protected areas and a monitoring mechanism will be created and implemented.

Currently, only 1% of these waters are protected.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante commended the UN treaty and the achievement of a goal set within the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework.

“We have just given ourselves the means to achieve an objective set during the COP15 in Montreal on biodiversity. UN member countries will protect 30% of the planet’s marine environments by 2030. A great victory for biodiversity!”

—Valérie Plante

“The most important conservation agreement in history” reached after COP15

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