China’s environment minister, chair of UN nature talks, ‘greatly confident’ of global deal
- Huang Runqiu, whose country is presiding over high-stakes UN nature talks, said: ‘I am greatly confident that we can … keep our ambitions as well as achieve consensus’
- The UN COP15 talks in Canada are aimed at sealing a ‘peace pact for nature’, a global agreement to halt damage to Earth’s species and ecosystems
A top Chinese official, whose country is presiding over high-stakes UN nature talks, said on Saturday he was “greatly confident” delegates would reach a deal despite differences over issues including funding to save ecosystems in developing countries.
“I am greatly confident that we can … keep our ambitions as well as achieve consensus,” Huang Runqiu, China’s environment minister, told reporters in Montreal, where the COP15 meeting is being held.
His Canadian counterpart Steven Guilbeault echoed his statement, saying: “We’ve made tremendous progress … I don’t know about how many of us thought we could get there.”
The UN talks are aimed at sealing a “peace pact for nature,” a global agreement for the next decade to halt damage to Earth’s species and ecosystems.
The talks are expected to last until December 19, with ministers ending their high-level phase of the gathering on Saturday. But after 10 days of negotiations, there had been widespread expectations that the talks would drag on longer if an agreement cannot be reached.