Can the international community reach a turning point in nature conservation?
A United Nations conference in Nagoya, Japan this week may determine how our planet’s resources are used in the future. Germany could have played an important role, but its environment minister left the meeting after only one day. Is the international community prepared to agree on common goals? Representatives in Nagoya, Japan, for the United Nations summit on the Convention on Biological Diversity were hoping to provide a sign of hope for threatened rain forests, coral reefs, fish stocks around the world — and for the billions of people who live in endangered ecosystems. Without an agreement, though, the summit may be a farce, according to some environmental organizations — rather like the recent climate summit at Copenhagen. Some even warn of a collapse of international environmental politics if there is a collective failure to address the second greatest ecological challenge after climate change — the conservation of habitats, species and genetic resources. German Environment Mi
