Delegates say there is increasing urgency to refine a proposed agreement on protecting the planet’s biodiversity as negotiations at a UN meeting in Montreal enter their second week.
Ladislav Miko, who represents the European Commission, says discussions need to move “dramatically forward” to have a hope of reaching a deal by the time the conference ends.
He said he is encouraged by the progress made in recent days but warns many more issues need to be sorted before ministers and other high-level delegates arrive later this week.
A spokesperson for the World Wildlife Fund says there are positive conversations happening around some goals, including a proposal to conserve 30 per cent of the globe’s land and water by 2030.
But Lucia Ruiz Bustos, the biodiversity and finance coordinator for WWF Mexico, says negotiations appear to be stalling over how the world will finance its goals and targets.
More than 190 countries are at the conference, which runs until Dec. 19.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2022.
