Omicron threatens next year’s COP15 nature deal meeting in China

Travel restrictions to battle the latest Covid-19 variant are putting a global pact to protect plants, animals and ecosystems at risk

The conference in the southern Chinese city of Kunming involves 195 countries and has already been postponed three times because of the pandemic

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Environmentalists warn the COP15 summit in Kunming, southern China, may not go ahead as planned because of the pandemic. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 1:11pm, 10 Dec 2021Updated: 4:54pm, 10 Dec 2021

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus which causes Covid-19 threatens to scupper a flagship UN environment conference planned for China in the spring.

Environmentalists are warning that the COP15 summit – where about 195 countries are due to sign a global pact to protect nature – could be thwarted by stricter travel restrictions as a result of the Omicron variant.

The accord to safeguard plants, animals and ecosystems – similar to the Paris climate agreement – is expected to be finalised in the southern city of Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, from April 25-May 8.

The talks have already been postponed three times due to the difficulties of meeting face-to-face during the pandemic.

The next round of in-person technical negotiations on the draft agreement and ways to put it into practice – planned for Geneva in January – has already been delayed, possibly until March, because of Omicron concerns.

“The upshot … is that COP15 may also need to be postponed again,” said Lin Li, director of global policy and advocacy at green group WWF International.