UN urges states to do more to protect species

The global community must invest much more and raise the scale and speed of its pledges to protect nature and prevent species loss, David Cooper, deputy executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity,  said yesterday on the eve of a new round of global biodiversity talks. 

The first part of the twice-postponed "COP15" biodiversity negotiations set to begin in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming today, with the aim of generating momentum for an ambitious post-2020 agreement to reverse decades of habitat destruction caused by human encroachment and climate change.

The talks will pave way for negotiators to thrash out a final deal in Kunming in May next year. The UN wants countries to commit to protecting 30% of their land by 2030, a pledge already agreed to by the United States and others.