'Biggest biodiversity conference in a decade' set to get underway in Canada

Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan and representatives from the Department of Housing and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will attend the Montreal event on behalf of Ireland.

More than 10,000 scientists and 196 countries will descend on Canada this week for what has been described as "the biggest biodiversity conference in a decade".

The Cop15 event, beginning on Wednesday and lasting until Monday, December 19, is now seen as a crucial event in the fight against biodiversity and habitat loss, which is under severe pressure.