The UN Biodiversity Conference in Montréal is negotiating ambitious targets for protection, restoration and nature-positive use of the oceans.
Marine protection and nature-friendly use of the oceans are also a priority at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montréal, Canada. Over 70 percent of our planet is covered by ocean. The oceans are home to countless species and function as a climate regulator and an important foundation of the food chain. Together with the EU and other leading countries in marine protection, the Blue Leaders and the Global Ocean Alliance, Germany is advocating in the ongoing negotiations for the adoption of ambitious global protection and restoration targets for the oceans. One aim of the future global biodiversity framework is to establish a target of placing at least 30 percent of global land and sea areas under protection by 2030.
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke commented: "We must now adopt concrete agreements on the protection and restoration of natural marine habitats at CBD COP 15 in Montréal. Only an intact ocean allows us to protect the many animal and plant species as well as the climate, thus safeguarding the foundations of all our lives. We need a global roadmap for setting up marine protected areas, both in our coastal waters and on the high seas. Parts of these areas must be under especially strict protection. This is the only way for nature to truly recover."