INTERNATIONAL: Hosting the 15th COP conference at the southwestern city of Kunming, the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi JinPing, has announced during the Leader’s Summit that China will create a new global fund of $232.5 million, to help developing countries protect their forest and animals. The fund is being called the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and will include projects of biodiversity development.

President Xi spoke about China’s plan of investing in clean energy: “[We will] step up our efforts in the development of renewable energy and accelerate the planning of large-scale photovoltaic and wind power projects in deserts and nearby areas”. He added, “Constructions for phase one of these projects, with a combined installed capacity of 100 million kilowatts, has begun.”

The conference this year is expected to adopt a joint declaration from the high-level segment of the UN Biodiversity Conference 2020 (Part 1). The document plans to emphasize the efforts and commitments of many countries to protect 30% of their land and sea areas through conservation by 2030, according to a draft of the declaration published on the conference website.