“It’s not helping us if you set a lot of strategic targets and there is no ability or resources to implement them.â€
Poorer nations want funding to protect species and ecosystems to be ramped up 100-fold from about $3 billion now.
Delegates, to be joined by environment ministers at the end of next week, will also try to set rules on how and when companies and researchers can use genes from plants or animals that originate in countries mainly in the developing world.
Developing nations want a fairer deal in sharing the wealth of their ecosystems, such as medicines created by big pharmaceutical firms, and back the draft treaty, or “access and benefit-sharing†(ABS) protocol.
For poorer nations, the protocol could unlock billions of dollars but some drug makers are wary of extra costs squeezing investment for research while complicating procedures such as applications for patents.
Conservation groups say failure to agree the ABS pact could derail the talks in Nagoya, including agreement on the 2020 target which would also set goals to protect fish stocks and phase out incentives harmful to biodiversity.
Japan, chair of the meeting, said agreement on an ambitious and practical 2020 target was key.
“We are nearing a tipping point, or the point of no return for biodiversity loss,†Japanese Environment Minister Ryu Matsumoto told the meeting.
“Unless proactive steps are taken for biodiversity, there is a risk that we will surpass that point in the next 10 years.â€
