High stakes UN biodiversity talks open in Montreal

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High stakes UN biodiversity talks open in Montreal

MONTREAL: High stakes UN biodiversity talks open in Montreal Wednesday December 7 in what is being billed as the last chance to save the planet's species and ecosystems from irreversible human destruction.

From December 7 to Dec 19, delegations from around the world gathered to try to come up with a new deal for nature: a 10 year framework aimed at saving the planet's forests, oceans and species before it's too late.

With our bottomless appetite for unchecked and unequal economic growth, humanity has become a weapon of mass extinction, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday at a ceremony ahead of the talks.

Before he took the dais, a group of around half a dozen Indigenous protesters interrupted a speech by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a sign of the passions inflamed by biodiversity loss among the most impacted communities.

The official opening of the meeting, known as COP 15, follows several days of pre-negotiations that saw very little progress on key issues, sparking fears that parties may walk away without a good deal.

Observers called for negotiators to unblock sticking points on difficult items like finance and implementation, with only five out of more than 20 targets agreed so far.

Bernadette Fischler Hooper, head of international advocacy at WWF, told reporters Tuesday that the summit was the last chance for governments to turn things around for nature and to rescue our precious life support system.

The 10 year framework includes a cornerstone pledge to protect 30 per cent of the world's land and seas by 2030, removing fishing and agriculture subsidies and tackling invasive species and reducing pesticides.

Finance is one of the most divisive issues as developing nations are demanding increased funding for conservation.

A coalition of nations called for wealthy countries to provide at least US $100 billion annually by the year 2030 - rising to US $700 billion a year for biodiversity.

Some countries want to set up a separate funding mechanism for biodiversity, which wealthy nations have resisted.

The sticky issue of biopiracy is causing roadblocks, as many mainly African countries demand wealthy nations share the benefits of ingredients and formulas used in cosmetics and medicines derived from the Global South.

Implementation has emerged as a sticking point in recent days, with disagreements over how to make sure a final deal is put into practice - unlike its predecessor in 2010.

There is a resistance to having robust monitoring and review mechanisms that we feel is necessary, according to a European source close to negotiations.