How does the COP15 to the Convention on Biodiversity affect coral reefs?

Excerpt from Coral Guardians:

Following the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt (see our short review here), another key UN conference focusing on the protection of biodiversity took place in Montreal, Canada. The 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) took place between last 7th-19th December, and had as its main goal to adopt the post-2020 global biodiversity framework: a strategic vision and scheme for the global conservation, restoration and sustainable management of biodiversity for the next 10 years.

The agenda was headlined by the 30×30 target, an ambitious goal to protect 30% of the planet’s lands and seas by 2030. Supported by over 100 countries, the target would provide opportunities for developing and climate-vulnerable countries to build on their natural capital while also conserving it.

Currently, roughly 17% of land and 10% of oceans are protected. Coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds are important to maintaining biodiversity and have a major impact on local ecology. From solely a biodiversity standpoint, the oceans are an important environment to protect, but when you consider the ecosystem services it provides and economic benefits it can provide if managed sustainably – its value is priceless.

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