UN nature goals face shortfalls before Yerevan summit

Governments heading to the October COP17 UN biodiversity summit in Yerevan are falling short of commitments to protect plants, animals and ecosystems, according to reports published on Oct 12. The gathering, involving nearly 200 nations, is expected to assess progress towards 2030 nature goals and negotiate further action, with formal talks due to begin on Oct 19.¹²

Targets under pressure

The Paris Agreement for Nature, adopted in 2022, set 23 targets intended to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, according to The Straits Times. A draft review has found that the world is not on course to meet those biodiversity goals, the newspaper reported. Astrid Schomaker, who leads the UN biodiversity convention, said the goals could still be met, but only if substantial changes are introduced.¹

National commitments, even if fully put into effect, would protect 27% of land and inland waters and 12% of oceans by the end of the decade, according to the report. That falls below the 30x30 conservation goal, which seeks protection for 30% of the world’s land and waters by 2030. Campaign for Nature said some countries had made progress towards that objective.¹

Finance and incentives

According to The Straits Times, countries are lagging on their commitment to secure US$200 billion annually for biodiversity by 2030 from public and private funding, including US$30 billion per year in international support for developing nations. The Cali Fund, a UN initiative launched in February 2025 to raise corporate funding for conservation in developing countries, has attracted US$6,000 against an annual target of US$1 billion.¹

The report said there had been little progress towards cutting nature-harmful incentives by US$500 billion annually. It also said that roughly US$30 is spent on activities that damage nature for every US$1 invested in protecting or restoring it. Over 130 companies and financial organisations, among them Nestle and H&M Group, urged governments to overhaul incentives tied to US$2.6 trillion in yearly public expenditure that they said funds practices that deplete ecosystems.¹

Guido Broekhoven of World Wildlife Fund International said “repurposing subsidies must be a matter of priority”. An unnamed French government official warned that prolonged financing discussions could divert attention from the goals themselves, saying: “The more time you spend talking about funding, the less you talk about objectives”.¹

Summit agenda

COP17 is taking place in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, with around 10 heads of state expected. An Lambrechts of Greenpeace International said the meeting needed to deliver “a clear course correction”. According to The Straits Times, the United States has not joined the biodiversity convention and is absent from the negotiations.¹

Phys.org reported that nations were preparing for a disappointing report card at the UN biodiversity summit. According to the outlet, the convention runs global talks every two years on safeguarding nature, and plants, animals and ecosystems underpin life on Earth. COP31, described in the dossier as annual international climate negotiations, is scheduled for neighbouring Turkey weeks after the Yerevan meeting.²