Major UN discussions aiming at reaching an agreement on environmental protection have been relocated from China to Canada.
In October of last year, the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference started as virtual, online discussions.
Negotiations were supposed to resume in Kunming, China in April, but were constantly postponed owing to Covid.
The discussions attempt to establish global policy for the next decade. They will now be held in Montreal from December 5 to 17.
The summit’s goal, which China will continue to chair despite the site shift, is to ratify the final text of the draught United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
“China would like to emphasise its continued strong commitment, as COP President, to work with all Parties and stakeholders to ensure the success of the second part of COP 15, including the adoption of an effective Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and to promote its delivery throughout its Presidency,” said Minister Huang Runqiu.
Observers have already criticised the “snail’s pace” of discussions and are calling for higher aspirations.
The conclusion will determine how the world will face the issues of decreasing the extinction risk that threatens over one million species, safeguarding 30% of land and sea, cutting billions of dollars in ecologically detrimental government subsidies, and repairing damaged ecosystems.