Interview: Danish minister calls for ambition, global cooperation to fight decline in biodiversity

COPENHAGEN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- There is urgent need to tackle the challenges of biodiversity conservation, Danish environment minister has said, expecting cooperation with all UN nations, including China, to "halt the decline in biodiversity and make sure we hand over a richer nature to our children."

"In order to stop the decline of biodiversity, we must all learn from each other and share best practices across borders," Lea Wermelin told Xinhua on the eve of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP15, which is set to kick off on Monday in Kunming, China.

According to Wermelin, the Danish government's collaborative work with biodiversity researchers and the local community in the establishment of 15 new nature national parks for rewilding is an example of such "best practices."

"Likewise, we welcome all suggestions from China and all other UN countries to find common solutions," Wermelin said.

Meanwhile, the need for COP15 to reach an "ambitious agreement" is imperative, according to the minister.

"We are in the midst of a nature crisis with the extinction of species happening at an unprecedented speed. Protecting nature and combating climate change are key priorities and now is the time to strengthen alliances and explore ways to reach an ambitious agreement," Wermelin said.

"... I am hopeful for the outcome of this COP15. The world has already shown that when we commit to each other we can find solutions -- just as we have done during the COVID-19 pandemic," Wermelin added.

"The Kingdom of Denmark works for a global target for 30 percent protected areas on land and in the oceans as one of our key priorities. To tackle the crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, we must also look to tools such as nature-based solutions and circular economy," the minister said.

However, Wermelin stressed that the financing of any ambitious proposals reached at COP15 should be resolved at the same time.

"Of course, we need the financial support to make a change. Globally we need to increase financial support from all sources to biodiversity, helping to ensure that countries are better enabled to protect and restore biodiversity for the benefit of the whole planet," Wermelin said.

Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," the meeting is the first global conference convened by the United Nations on the topic of ecological civilization.