Goodwill and compromise: Nagoya biodiversity deal restores faith in UN | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Goodwill and compromise: Nagoya biodiversity deal restores faith in UN | Environment | guardian.co.uk

In the long run, the biodiversity deal scratched out in Nagoya in the early hours of this morning is intended to benefit habitats and species such as tigers, pandas and whales. But in the short-term, the biggest beast to get a reprieve may well prove to be the UN itself.

After the misery, disappointment and anger of last year's climate talks in Copenhagen, the body was fiercely criticised and the entire multilateral negotiating process called into question. It seemed time-consuming, prone to grandstanding and dominated by selfish national interests rather than pressing global concerns.