Negotiators at a U.N. summit to protect nature were closing in on a new global deal on Sunday that could see 30% of the world's land and seas protected by 2030, with hundreds of billions of dollars directed toward conserving wild places and species.
China, the president of the COP15 conference in Montreal, released a proposed text on Sunday morning that ministers welcomed, with some reservations.
"Another potential round of work needs to be done so we can align the resources and the ambition," said Colombia Environment Minister Susana Muhamad. "But I'm very optimistic that, as the main goals have been landed and there is no, in general, opposition to these goals, we have made a very important step forward."