Don’t repeat past mistakes over nature, scientists warn

The conference, known as Cop15, which begins in Montreal on Tuesday, hopes to set the goals for the world for the next decade to help conserve the planet’s biodiversity and stem the loss of nature.

A Maasai man walks with his livestock in search of grassland for them to graze, at Ilangeruani village, near Lake Magadi, in Kenya (AP)

Scientists from around the world are warning governments gathering in Canada this week for the United Nations biodiversity summit not to repeat past mistakes over nature, and to “avoid trade-offs” between people and conservation needs.

A study published in the One Earth Journal found that although there has been an increase in investment in conservation over the last three decades, governments “have not succeeded in bending the curve on biodiversity decline”.