COUNTRIES are off track to meet 22 of 23 global biodiversity targets, according to a draft United Nations report, putting pressure on governments to accelerate conservation efforts and resolve funding disputes at a major international conference in Armenia this week.
The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), which begins in Yerevan, will be the first major assessment of progress under the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Rueters reported on Monday that the agreement aims to protect 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030, but progress on broader measures to halt nature loss remains insufficient, despite expectations that land protection could reach 27.5% by the end of the decade.
The talks are expected to focus on financing conservation, reforming subsidies that damage ecosystems and strengthening national action plans.
Although 144 countries, including Brazil and China, have developed biodiversity action plans, there is still uncertainty over how governments will contribute towards a target of US$30 billion in annual public finance for nature.
The broader framework aims to mobilise at least US$200 billion a year from all sources by 2030.
Another key issue is reforming an estimated US$500 billion in annual subsidies for activities that harm nature, with governments being urged to establish a two-year timeline to identify and redirect the most damaging incentives.
These include subsidies that encourage deforestation and discounts for synthetic fertilisers and chemical pesticides that can damage soil and water systems.
Reforming such support could help governments tackle biodiversity loss, food security and energy security without placing further pressure on public finances amid geopolitical tensions and inflation.
“This isn't primarily a story about conservation,” said Eva Zabey, chief executive of Business for Nature, a non-profit organisation.
“It's an economic, fiscal, political and competitiveness story, which is grounded in resilience and resource security.”
With public funding constrained, greater attention is also being placed on private-sector contributions, including through the Cali Fund, established in 2025 to channel support from companies that use digital databases of genetic resources in industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and commercial agriculture.
However, questions remain over how the money should be distributed between countries and Indigenous communities, and whether companies should contribute based on their overall revenue or the portion of their businesses that relies on genetic resources.
More than 130 businesses, including H&M and Nestlé, have urged governments to establish clearer policies and plans to reform nature-damaging incentives within the next 12 months, arguing that greater certainty would encourage investment.
Conservation International estimates that governments spend between US$11 trillion and US$24.7 trillion annually on subsidies, many of which can contribute to environmental damage and generate additional public costs for pollution clean-up, healthcare and infrastructure repairs.
The conference also offers an opportunity to strengthen efforts to prevent species extinction and support conservation teams working to restore ecosystems.
“We know recovery is possible. The decisions we make in Armenia should give more conservation teams the backing to make it happen,” said Cristián Samper, managing director and head of Nature Solutions at the Bezos Earth Fund. - October 19, 2026