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 deterioration and the loss of biodiversity. His appeal came just prior to the 17th United Nations Biodiversity Conference, known as COP17, scheduled from October 19 to 30. Guterres warned that over one million species are now at risk of extinction.
He called on governments to boost investments in solutions aimed at preserving ecosystems, advocating for greater engagement from the private sector and local communities in conservation initiatives. The Secretary-General pointed out that climate disruption, overgrazing, and the overuse of fertilisers and pesticides are fueling a triple planetary crisis, which involves pollution, biodiversity decline, and climate change. He warned that these issues are pushing the planet closer to becoming uninhabitable.
Describing Yerevan as a pivotal moment of accountability halfway to 2030, Guterres noted that nations adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022, aiming to conserve 30% of the land and sea worldwide by the end of this decade. Nearly 90% of participating countries have established national biodiversity targets, with more than half preparing national road maps. Nonetheless, he emphasized that progress remains uneven and too slow.
Growing Financial Disparities Between Harmful Activities and Conservation Efforts
The UN chief highlighted a significant imbalance in global spending, noting that for every dollar invested in protecting nature, $30 are allocated to activities that cause damage. In 2023, $7.3 trillion flowed into sectors harmful to nature, including heavy industry, destructive agribusiness, and fossil fuels. Guterres urged governments to eliminate harmful subsidies and pointed to the UN-backed Cali Fund as a platform for companies benefiting from nature to contribute financially.
Achieving international goals on biodiversity, climate, and land restoration will require substantially increased investments. To meet targets by 2030, annual spending on nature-based solutions must reach $571 billion, roughly 0.5% of global gross domestic product. Currently, biodiversity financing is less than half of the $200 billion annual commitment under the global framework. Guterres also pointed out that debt burdens and limited budgets hinder developing countries from investing adequately in nature.
Current Protection Goals Are Unattainable
Existing national commitments do not come close to the 30% protection target. Even if all pledges are fulfilled, only 26% of terrestrial and 12% of marine ecosystems will be protected by 2030. Since 2022, an additional 1.3 million square kilometres of land and 6 million square kilometres of ocean have been granted formal protection. Guterres called on nations to fulfill the 30 by 30 objective and to shift away from policies that harm nature toward those that sustain it.
He also urged broader participation from young people, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. The Secretary-General emphasized that environmental decline often hits the most vulnerable hardest. He welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s commitment to integrate biodiversity into national policies, budgets, and regulations. As delegations prepare for COP17, where progress towards the 2030 targets will be evaluated, Guterres stressed that there is no time to delay.