The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biodiversity was held from 7 – 19 December 2022, in Montreal and reached a final deal early on 19 December. The EU and its Member States were amongst those calling for urgent and transformative action by all to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

Targets finally agreed include restoring 30% degraded ecosystems globally (on land and sea) and conserving and managing 30% of land, water and sea area by 2030. Additionally, the extinction of all known species should be stopped by 2050. The European Commission greeted the agreed deal as historic, providing a solid framework with clear, measurable goals and targets, with complete monitoring, reporting, and review arrangements.