The theme of "Ecological Civilization – Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth" has been selected for the next world Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) conference in Kunming, Yunnan Province next year.

The conference, the 15th of its kind, will discuss the framework of post-2020 global biodiversity and set new goals for 2030.

CGTN spoke to Cristiana Pasca Palmer, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, who elaborated on the objectives of the convention, the reason its organizers chose China as the host and the situation of the biodiversity protection.

"The most important one probably is the development and agreement of all countries on this post-2020 biodiversity framework. In essence, it's a global policy for nature for biodiversity, and then it has to be carried out at national levels," said Palmer.

She said the situation of biodiversity protection is worrying, according to a global assessment of biodiversity released in May.

"We are almost losing about a million species to extinction. The reason that is so worrying is because all the species have their own role in the ecosystems, and because the ecosystems provide services for us human, like our food, our water, our air, are coming from a good functioning of nature. As we lose these species, we lose the fabric that keeps all of these together," said Palmer.

"It's a whole system that needs to change."