Put the planet before football, UN head of Cop15 nature summit tells leaders

December clash of biodiversity talks in Montreal and World Cup in Qatar will cause embarrassment' if ministers fail to act wisely

World leaders must not let the World Cup in Qatar distract them from a simultaneous nature summit, or they face being embarrassed by the outcome, the UN's biodiversity chief has warned.

This December, delegates will travel to Montreal, Canada, for the UN biodiversity conference, known as Cop15, to negotiate a new set of global goals for nature over the next decade after two years of delays, with the final agreement due to be reached on the eve of the World Cup final on 18 December.