YEREVAN, Armenia / AfricaWire.IO / – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has emphasized the need for immediate and effective international efforts to stop environmental deterioration and the loss of biodiversity. His appeal was made during the Leaders’ Summit held in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on Friday, October 16. This summit took place prior to the 17th United Nations Biodiversity Conference, also known as COP17, which is 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 and called for increased involvement from the private sector and local communities in conservation initiatives. The Secretary-General pointed out that climate disruption, overgrazing, and the excessive application of fertilisers and pesticides are fueling a triple planetary crisis, which combines pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. He warned that this crisis is pushing the planet toward becoming uninhabitable.
Guterres characterized Yerevan as a pivotal moment of accountability halfway to 2030. In 2022, countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework with the aim of conserving 30% of the world’s land and sea by the end of the decade. Since then, nearly 90% of parties have established national biodiversity targets, with more than half preparing national road maps. Nonetheless, Guterres highlighted that progress remains inconsistent and too slow overall.
Financial imbalance widens between damage and conservation efforts
The Secretary-General pointed out a significant disparity in global spending, noting that for every dollar allocated to protecting nature, $30 is spent on activities that harm it. In 2023, $7.3 trillion flowed into industries detrimental to nature, including heavy industry, destructive agribusiness, and fossil fuels. He called on governments to eliminate harmful subsidies and referenced the UN-supported Cali Fund as a means for companies that profit from nature to contribute to conservation.
Achieving global biodiversity, climate, and land restoration targets will demand substantially increased investments. To meet these goals, annual expenditures on nature-based solutions should reach $571 billion by 2030, approximately 0.5% of global gross domestic product. Biodiversity financing currently remains below half of the $200 billion per year pledged under the global framework. Guterres also noted that debt burdens and limited budgets hinder developing countries from investing adequately in nature.
Protection ambitions remain difficult to realize
Current national commitments are significantly below the 30% target. Even if countries fulfill their promises, only 26% of terrestrial ecosystems 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 gained formal protection. Guterres urged nations to fulfill the 30 by 30 goal and to transition from policies that destroy nature to those that sustain it.
He also appealed for broader engagement from young people, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. The Secretary-General emphasized that environmental decline often impacts the most vulnerable groups the hardest. He welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s commitment to integrating biodiversity into national policies, budgets, and regulations. Delegates now turn their attention to COP17, where countries will evaluate their collective progress toward the 2030 targets. Guterres stressed that there is no time to delay.