A new deal to protect nature was agreed by countries around the world at the COP15 UN biodiversity summit in Montreal in December where the UK government played a leading role in driving negotiations and securing international commitments.

The UK is continuing to support the effective implementation of  the agreement and will be hosting an event at Lancaster House in London, scheduled for 17th February to drive forward global financing.

Almost 200 countries signed up to Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) agreement which sets the framework for the next decade of action to protect nature with a global commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and to protect 30% of the world’s land and ocean by the same date.

This includes a major push to increase the amount of money invested in tackling  nature loss and restoring threatened habitats such as mangroves, rainforests and grasslands. The agreement set out that the total finance required for biodiversity is $200bn per year by 2030, including $20bn in flows to developing countries by 2025, rising to $30bn by 2030.

The Environment Secretary, Dr Thérèse Coffey MP said:

One of our key achievements last year was driving forward international commitments to halt and reverse the decline of nature and protect 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030.

Essential to this ground-breaking global agreement was a credible financing package to make this the decade of global action and put nature on a road to recovery. Continuing our leadership role,  now we are bringing together the private, public sector and philanthropy to discuss how we can deliver the resources needed to support this global agreement.

 Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England said.

In the wake of the breakthrough agreement in Montréal we now need to get serious about doing what it says. The days when it was widely believed looking after the natural world was an option are gone. It is clear that we must now behave like it is an urgent necessity - this very worthwhile initiative will help drive the action we need.