YEREVAN, Armenia / AfricaWire.IO / – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has emphasized the critical importance of swift and effective international efforts to stop environmental degradation and the loss of biodiversity. His appeal was made during the Leaders’ Summit in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, on Friday, October 16. This gathering preceded 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 urged governments to boost investments in solutions that safeguard ecosystems while advocating for increased involvement 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—combining pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. He cautioned that this crisis is bringing Earth dangerously close to becoming uninhabitable.
Describing Yerevan as a pivotal moment for accountability midway to 2030, Guterres highlighted that nations adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022 with the aim to conserve 30% of the world’s land and sea by the decade’s end. Since then, nearly 90% of parties have established national biodiversity targets, with more than half developing national road maps. Nevertheless, Guterres noted that progress remains inconsistent and insufficiently rapid.
Growing financial disparity between harm and conservation efforts
The Secretary-General drew attention to a stark imbalance in global expenditure. For every dollar allocated to protecting nature, thirty dollars are spent on activities that harm it. In 2023, approximately $7.3 trillion was invested in sectors detrimental to nature, including heavy industry, destructive agribusiness, and fossil fuels. Guterres called on governments to eliminate harmful subsidies and suggested the UN-backed Cali Fund as a means for corporations benefiting from nature to contribute financially.
Achieving global biodiversity, climate, and land restoration targets will demand significantly increased investments. To meet these goals 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 per year outlined in the global framework. Guterres also pointed out that debt burdens and limited budgets hinder many developing nations from investing adequately in nature conservation.
Protection goals remain difficult to attain
Existing national commitments are notably below the 30% target. Even if all pledges are fulfilled, only 26% of terrestrial and 12% of marine ecosystems would be protected by 2030. Since 2022, an additional 1.3 million square kilometres of land and 6 million square kilometres of ocean have received formal protection. Guterres urged nations to fulfill the 30 by 30 objective and transition from policies that harm nature to those that promote its preservation.
He also emphasized the importance of broader engagement from young people, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. Environmental decline often impacts the most vulnerable populations disproportionately. The Secretary-General welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s commitment to integrating biodiversity into national policies, budgets, and regulations. Delegates now shift their focus to COP17, where progress towards the 2030 targets will be evaluated. Guterres underscored that there is no time to delay.