7. Some 200 countries (minus the U.S. and the Vatican) commit to stemming
the loss of nature worldwide. Another critical environmental gathering,
the COP15 Biodiversity Summit in Canada, reached a watershed agreement
pledging to protect nearly one-third of Earth’s land and oceans as a refuge
for the planet’s remaining wild plants and animals by 2030–dubbed “30 by 30.”
This agreement is critical to stemming the massive loss of diversity—about
a million species are at risk of disappearing forever. But it will take
constant grassroots pressure, and significant resources from the wealthier
countries, to put this 30 by 30 goal into practice.
