Over 200 countries have agreed to sign-up to measures to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010.

Amongst the pledges have been the proposed deep-sea nature reserves, creation of global standards for biofuel development, and expand reserve area globally to an area twice the size of Germany.

However some environmentalists have noted that the UN Millenium Development target of substantially reducing the loss of biodiversity by 2010 is still not being met.

Joan Ruddock, the UK’s Minister for Climate Change, Biodiversity and Waste, welcomed the progress which had been made but insisted that the UK could not be complacent in protecting its natural resources. In a statement released by Defra today, the Minister stressed that the UK would continue to press for international action.