Parties of the United Nations at the Nature and Culture Summit during COP15 held in Montreal, Canada, and hosted by the Chinese government, 12 December 2022. (Photo: Julia Evans) 
“The issue that seemed to have precipitated the walkout was a discussion on the creation of a new fund for biodiversity, and the difference of opinion between developed and developing countries,” he said. The walkout, in a working group focused on resource mobilization, included delegates from all developing countries, including “like-minded, mega-diverse countries,” he said.
A meeting of the heads of delegations will take place at 11 a.m. this morning to attempt to resolve the impasse, Ainsworth said, but declined to comment further.
COP15: What to Expect From the UN Biodiversity Conference
The protest comes as high-level negotiations with environment ministers are set to begin today on the most important aspects of the COP15 agreement. That includes numerical targets in the draft Global Biodiversity Framework that will lay out countries’ approach to biodiversity for the next decade. A key part of those talks is hammering out how measures — which could include protecting 30% of the world’s land and sea — will be funded.