Still no major progress at COP15

The world had just eight days to seal a historic deal to stem the destruction of nature. But half way into the COP15 biodiversity talks, there has been no major progress either on increased funding for conservation in developing nations, or towards a pledge to protect 30 percent of the world's land and seas.

The general view is that negotiations will get tough on Thursday, when the environment ministers of the 196 members of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will take over from their delegates in Montreal.

But the chances of ending on December 19 with agreement for an ambitious "peace pact with nature" -- 20 objectives to stop the destruction of water, forests and living things by the end of the decade -- will be undermined if the draft agreement remains as it is now.

Despite long hours put in by the 5,000 delegates since December 3, the text is far behind schedule, weighed down by dozens of points still under negotiation.

Only five of the 22 or 23 objectives envisaged have been settled.

Brazil on Saturday reiterated, on behalf of the African continent and 14 other countries including India and Indonesia, their demand for "financial subsidies of at least $100 billion per year or one percent of world GDP until 2030."

That increase is deemed unrealistic by rich countries, whose aid earmarked for biodiversity in 2020 amounted to $10 billion.