At the United Nations Conservation of Species conference in Canada, a draft Convention on Biological Diversity has been on the table since yesterday. Under the plan presented by China, rich countries will increase their financial support to developing countries for biodiversity to at least $20 billion annually by 2025. By 2030, the amount should increase to $30 billion. According to the draft, 30 percent of the earth’s surface should also be declared protected areas.
The latter was one of the central goals of the United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity COP15. Funding wildlife conservation in developing countries is a particularly contentious issue in the negotiations. Developing countries have requested financial support of at least $100 billion annually from rich countries.
Optimism in agreement
That would be ten times the current amount flowing from developed to developing countries to boost biodiversity – and the equivalent of the $100 billion that has been pledged but not yet fully spent to combat global warming.
Shortly before the end of COP 15 today, senior representatives of Member States expressed optimism about the agreement. “I am confident that we can maintain our ambition and reach a consensus,” said Chinese Environment Minister Huang Runqiu in Montreal.
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