The unraveling of globalization induced by coronavirus is not limited to trade and travel: Global environmental negotiations are also in disarray. The global summit for setting new biodiversity rules and targets is the first major victim. Due to take place in China in October, the meeting is now delayed, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the leading U.N. biodiversity official, announced this week. While the event may be seven months away, pandemic effects started hitting U.N. organizers this month as plans for preparatory meetings fell victim to the shifting onslaught of travel bans and lockdowns. International negotiations for a U.N. treaty on the high seas (another big chunk of biodiversity management) should have started this week but are also postponed. The U.K. government is resisting any decision to postpone the COP26 climate conference scheduled for November 9-20, but pressure is growing. The next key COP26 planning meeting is set for Bonn in May but Germany has a travel ban against non-EU residents, and the following planning meeting is due to take place in Italy. U.N. consultants Felix Dodds and Michael Strauss lay out the case for postponing COP26. The Climate Group has written openly about the current frustration in green circles. Despite the NGO’s staff being used to remote work, they have never “truly believed in the power of the virtual world to provide the same outcomes as physical attendance at intimate stakeholder meetings, diplomatic discussions or international events.” To view the full article visit Politico.
