YEREVAN, Armenia / AfricaWire.IO / – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has emphasized the need for swift and effective international efforts to combat environmental deterioration and the alarming loss of biodiversity. He voiced this plea at the Leaders’ Summit held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, 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 called on governments to boost funding for solutions aimed at safeguarding ecosystems. Furthermore, he urged increased 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. This crisis combines pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. He warned that these issues are pushing the planet closer to becoming uninhabitable.
Guterres described Yerevan as a pivotal moment for accountability, marking the halfway point to 2030. In 2022, countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework with the aim to conserve 30% of the world’s land and sea by the end of this decade. Nearly 90% of signatory parties have since established national biodiversity targets. More than half have also developed national roadmaps. However, Guterres highlighted that progress remains uneven and far too sluggish.
Financial Disparities Widen Between Environmental Harm and Conservation
The Secretary-General pointed out a significant imbalance in global spending. For every dollar invested in protecting nature, $30 is spent on activities that harm it. In 2023, an estimated $7.3 trillion flowed into industries detrimental to nature. These sectors include heavy industry, destructive agribusiness, and fossil fuels. Guterres called on governments to eliminate harmful subsidies and highlighted the UN-backed Cali Fund as a way for companies benefiting from nature to contribute.
Achieving global biodiversity, climate, and land restoration goals will require substantially increased investments. To meet these targets, annual spending on nature-based solutions must reach $571 billion by 2030, roughly 0.5% of the global gross domestic product. Currently, biodiversity financing amounts to less than half of the $200 billion annually pledged under the global framework. Guterres also noted that debt burdens and limited budgets hinder developing countries from investing adequately in nature.
Current Conservation Goals Still Out of Reach
Existing national commitments fall significantly short of the 30% protection target. Even if countries fulfill their pledges, only 26% of terrestrial ecosystems and 12% of marine ecosystems would be safeguarded 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 to shift from policies that destroy nature to those that support its preservation.
He also appealed for broader engagement from youth, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. Guterres emphasized that environmental decline often impacts the most vulnerable groups the hardest. He welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s commitment to incorporate biodiversity into national policies, budgets, and regulations. As delegations prepare for COP17, where collective progress toward the 2030 targets will be evaluated, Guterres stressed that there is no time to delay.