The COP16 UN Biodiversity Conference in Rome has ended with a plan for nations to contribute $200 billion a year for the protection of the planet’s biodiversity by 2030, but critics say it’s not enough.
The countries came to an agreement on how to contribute the funds. The accord also includes a plan for raising $20 billion annually to finance conservation in developing nations starting this year, with the amount rising to $30 billion a year by 2030, reported The Associated Press.
Following hours of tense discussions, delegates at the conference applauded when the deal was finally reached.
COP16 President Susana Muhamad cried as she ended the meeting, calling it a “historic day,” The Guardian reported.
“We achieved the adoption of the first global plan to finance the conservation of life on Earth,” Muhamad said.
While progress was made at the…
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