YEREVAN, Armenia / AfricaWire.IO / – At the Leaders’ Summit in Yerevan on Friday, October 16, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgent need for international cooperation to combat environmental degradation and the ongoing loss of biodiversity. This appeal was made ahead of the 17th United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP17, scheduled from October 19 to 30. Guterres warned that over one million species now face imminent extinction.
He called on nations to boost funding for initiatives that safeguard ecosystems and stressed the importance of increased engagement from private sector actors and local communities in conservation efforts. The Secretary-General pointed out that climate change, overgrazing, and the excessive application of fertilizers and pesticides are fueling a triple planetary crisis, combining pollution, biodiversity decline, and climate change. He cautioned that this crisis is pushing the planet toward an uninhabitable state.
Describing Yerevan as a pivotal moment for accountability on the path to 2030, Guterres highlighted that countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022, aiming to protect 30% of the planet’s land and sea by the decade’s end. Nearly 90% of nations involved have established national biodiversity targets, and more than half have developed national road maps. Nonetheless, he emphasized that progress remains inconsistent and too slow.
Funding disparities grow between damage and conservation
The Secretary-General pointed out a significant imbalance in global expenditure, noting that for every dollar invested in conservation, $30 is allocated to harmful activities. In 2023, industries detrimental to nature received $7.3 trillion, including heavy manufacturing, destructive agriculture, and fossil fuel sectors. Guterres urged governments to eliminate harmful subsidies and highlighted the UN-backed Cali Fund as a platform for benefiting companies to contribute financially.
Achieving global biodiversity, climate, and land restoration goals will demand substantially increased investments. To meet these objectives, annual spending on nature-based solutions must reach $571 billion by 2030, approximately 0.5% of the global gross domestic product. Currently, biodiversity financing is less than half of the $200 billion yearly target outlined in the global framework. Guterres also pointed out that debt burdens and limited budgets hinder developing countries from investing adequately in nature.
Current protection targets still fall short
Existing national commitments are significantly below the 30% protection goal. Even if all pledges are fulfilled, only 26% of terrestrial ecosystems and 12% of marine ecosystems will be safeguarded by 2030. Since 2022, an additional 1.3 million square kilometres of land and 6 million square kilometres of ocean have gained formal protection status. Guterres urged nations to fulfill the 30 by 30 objective and transition from policies that harm nature to those that support its preservation.
He also called for increased involvement from youth, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, emphasizing that environmental decline often impacts the most vulnerable the hardest. The Secretary-General welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s commitment to integrate biodiversity considerations into national policies, budgets, and regulations. As delegations prepare for COP17, where collective progress toward the 2030 targets will be assessed, Guterres stressed that urgent action is needed and there is no time to delay.