The international community faces a "moment of truth" in the protection of nature, warned, Monday (October 11th), the executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, at the opening of the COP15 biodiversity.

The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity was launched from Kunming, China, attended by representatives of the Chinese government, the CBD and some delegations.

It also takes place online.

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COP15 was divided into two parts, the first being held until October 15.

The second part is scheduled from April 25 to May 8, 2022 in person in Kunming, in southwest China, for all the delegations of the 196 members of the CBD.

This format was chosen after several postponements due to the Covid-19 epidemic.

"While there have been successes and progress, there has not been the progress needed to stop the ongoing loss of plant and animal diversity on Earth," said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema from China.

"We are facing our moment of truth. If we are to achieve the 2050 vision of living in harmony with nature, we must act in this decade to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity," she warned.

"China has set a red line and is sticking to it"

A text presented in July, which serves as a basis for discussions, includes four major objectives for 2050, with ten milestones for 2030 and 21 targets.

The targets aim "to ensure that at least 30% of land and sea areas (...) are conserved through protected area systems and other effective conservation measures" or to limit agricultural or plastic pollution. .

They also include a financial component and measures to monitor States' commitments.

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China, which officially took over the presidency of COP15 on Monday, is due to present a text, the Kunming Declaration, which will set the tone for its environmental ambitions.

“China has set a red line on ecological protection and is sticking to it,” said Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, with 25% of its territory beyond the reach of developers.

Beijing is also hosting an online summit on October 12 and 13, with interventions from heads of state and government and ministers.

With AFP

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