UN holds emergency session on coral bleaching crisis at Colombia biodiversity summit
Coral reefs are facing a severe crisis, with 77% affected by bleaching due to climate change, marking the fourth mass bleaching event recorded. The United Nations convened an emergency session at the biodiversity summit in Colombia to address this issue.
Governments, including New Zealand and the UK, pledged around $30 million to a U.N. fund for coral conservation, which aims to raise $3 billion by 2030. Currently, about $225 million has been collected.
The U.N. emphasized the urgent need for action to protect coral reefs, vital for marine life and human livelihoods. A future U.N. ocean conference in France will seek additional funding to support these efforts.