UN biodiversity talks hampered by ‘lack of political will’: WWF
World Wildlife Fund urges more ambitious targets after developing nations stage COP15 walkout over funding plans.
A “lack of political will” is hindering the United Nations biodiversity conference, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has warned, urging participating nations to set more ambitious goals to tackle the environmental crisis.
Delegates from nearly 200 countries have gathered in Montreal, Canada in an effort to tackle the rapid decline of global biodiversity – the loss of animals, plants, and other organisms, as well as entire ecosystems around the world.
“Currently, there’s simply a lack of political will compared to what’s needed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030,” Florian Titze, an adviser on international biodiversity policy at WWF Germany, said during a news conference on Wednesday.
“Nothing is lost yet. We still look hopeful towards the next week, when ministers are here,” Titze added.
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The call to action came after delegates from developing countries staged a late-night walkout of the UN conference – dubbed COP15 – on Tuesday after talks broke down with wealthier nations over the contentious issue of funding.
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