Targets still under negotiation with four days left at COP15 biodiversity conference

What you need to know about the COP15 agreement The COP15 on diversity came to a close Monday with the announcement of what was hailed as a historic agreement

With four days left to reach a new global agreement to conserve and restore nature, the marquee targets under negotiation at COP15 in Montreal remain elusive.

More than 100 government ministers have joined the talks in the past two days.

And a parade of them have promised that they are committed to achieving a new agreement to protect the Earth's natural landscapes and wild species.

But there are deep disagreements -- including divisions about whether to create a new global biodiversity fund to pay for it, or channel critical financing through the 30-year-old Global Environment Fund.

The draft biodiversity framework includes four broad goals around protecting nature and sharing its benefits.

It also includes 22 targets ranging from the sustainable use and management of wild species to the restoration of destroyed habitats, using fewer plastics and pesticides and expanding urban green spaces.

The biggest and most contentious targets, however, are Canada's demand to protect 30 per cent of the world's land and marine areas by 2030, and the money.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 16, 2022