Near 200 nations agree new nature deal in Armenia, money remains key hurdle

Delegates from nearly 200 countries agreed the key parts of a new global biodiversity action plan in Yerevan, Armenia, after nearly two weeks of negotiations. The agreement includes a target to protect 30% of the world's land and seas by the end of the decade, and countries have pledged to protect 623 million acres of degraded land. However, progress on the 24 targets is severely lacking, with the world on track to achieve only one of them. A major barrier to meeting these goals remains funding, as nations are falling short of the $30 billion annual commitment made in 2022, with only over $1 billion pledged at this meeting.