Biodiversity problems take centre stage

European researchers at heart of drive for global targets

Scientists need to guide world leaders to clear and influential targets for combating biodiversity losses in the same way that they have driven international climate accords, say research and civil society groups.

Government representatives and thousands of others from around the world are gathering in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to tackle biodiversity concerns at the 14th biennial Conference of Parties for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. They are looking ahead to COP15, the biodiversity summit due to take place in 2020, which researchers and policy experts say will be of similar importance to the landmark 2015 climate change meeting in Paris. Then the world agreed to try to limit warming to 1.5ºC.