YEREVAN, Armenia / AfricaWire.IO / – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has emphasized the necessity of swift and decisive international efforts to prevent environmental degradation and the loss of biodiversity. His appeal was made during the Leaders’ Summit in the Armenian 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 issued a stark warning that over one million species are now at risk of extinction.
The Secretary-General called on governments to boost investments in solutions aimed at conserving ecosystems. He also advocated for increased engagement from the private sector and local communities in conservation initiatives. Guterres highlighted that climate upheaval, overgrazing, and the excessive application of fertilisers and pesticides are fueling a triple planetary crisis—comprising pollution, biodiversity decline, and climate change. He warned that this crisis is pushing the planet toward becoming uninhabitable.
Yerevan was described by Guterres as a pivotal moment of accountability, marking the halfway point to 2030. In 2022, nations 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. Nearly 90% of signatory parties have since established national biodiversity targets, and more than half have developed national road maps. Despite this progress, Guterres pointed out that efforts remain inconsistent and sluggish.
Growing financial imbalance between environmental harm and conservation
The Secretary-General underscored a significant disparity in global expenditure. For each dollar allocated to protect nature, $30 are spent on activities that harm it. In 2023, $7.3 trillion were invested in sectors detrimental to nature, such as heavy industry, destructive agriculture, and fossil fuels. Guterres urged governments to eliminate harmful subsidies and highlighted the UN-supported Cali Fund as a platform for corporations benefiting from nature to contribute.
Achieving global biodiversity, climate, and land restoration objectives will demand substantially greater investments. To meet these goals, 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 yearly commitment under the international framework. Guterres also pointed out that debt burdens and limited budgets hinder developing countries from investing adequately in nature.
Protection targets remain elusive
Existing national commitments are significantly below the 30% protection goal. Even if countries fulfill their pledges, only 26% of terrestrial ecosystems and 12% of marine ecosystems will be safeguarded by 2030. Since 2022, formal protection has been extended to an additional 1.3 million square kilometres of land and 6 million square kilometres of ocean. Guterres urged nations to fulfill the 30 by 30 objective and to shift from policies that destroy nature to those that preserve it.
He also called for increased participation from young people, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. The decline of the environment often impacts the most vulnerable populations most severely. The Secretary-General welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s commitment to integrate biodiversity considerations into national policies, budgets, and regulations. Delegates now focus on COP17, where countries will evaluate collective progress toward the 2030 targets. Guterres emphasized that there is no time to delay.