UN summit on nature presents chance for 'once-in-a-decade' deal
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Members of WWF protest during COP15, the two-week UN Biodiversity summit, in Montreal, Canada, on Dec 7, 2022.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MONTREAL - Climate campaigners waved placards and chanted pro-nature slogans on Wednesday as a United Nations summit kicked off in Montreal, bringing together global negotiators for a “once-in-a-decade opportunity” to protect nature.
Negotiators hope the two-week event delivers an agreement that ensures there is more “nature” – animals, plants and healthy ecosystems – in 2030 than what exists now.
But disagreements over targets and the sheer amount of material to go through over the next two weeks at COP15 remain concerns, said Mr Gavin Edwards, director of World Wildlife Fund International.
“There are going to be some really late nights here to be able to get the agreement we want,” he said on the sidelines of the event, as campaigners chanted slogans.
“But we’re talking about the future of life on earth here.”
An agreement could lead to protection of almost a third of the world’s land and oceans by 2030, more sustainable agricultural systems, forestry and fisheries, he said.
“Governments have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to agree on that here.”
Earlier in the day, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced up to C$800 million (S$795 million) over seven years on up to four indigenous-led conservation efforts, helping the country preserve 30 per cent of its land by 2030.
More than one million species, especially insects, are now threatened with extinction, vanishing at a rate not seen in 10 million years. As much as 40 per cent of earth’s land surfaces are considered degraded, according to a 2022 UN Global Land Outlook assessment. REUTERS
