In mid-December of 2022, more than 190 countries approved what was considered “a sweeping United Nations agreement” regarding the global protection of biodiversity. This took place at the COP15 UN Conference on Biological Diversity held in Montreal, Canada, and co-chaired by Canada and China. The agreement calls for the protection of 30% of the planet’s surface by 2030, called 30 × 30, one of a suite of 23 conservation targets, and hopes to counter the mounting crisis that puts in jeopardy not just the existence of so many plant and animal species around the world, but also the world’s food and water supplies.

The agreement comes as biodiversity is declining worldwide at rates never seen before in human history. Biodiversity specialists have projected that a million plants and animals are at risk of extinction, many within decades. Two of the most important targets in the agreement are the 30 × 30 target, where countries agreed to manage the remaining 70% of the planet to avoid losing areas of high importance to biodiversity, and another where large businesses would disclose any biodiversity risks and impacts of their activities. Of course, the question remains if the agreement’s multiple targets can be realized. The previous 10-year agreement failed to fully achieve a single target at the global level.