YEREVAN, Armenia / AfricaWire.IO / – At the Leaders’ Summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on October 16, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning that more than one million species are at risk of extinction due to ongoing human destruction of nature. He called for swift and impactful global measures to combat environmental decline. This summit took place just before the 17th UN Biodiversity Conference, COP17, hosted by Armenia from October 19 to 30. Guterres emphasized that such destruction jeopardizes the future of life on Earth.
The Secretary-General urged governments to increase investments in solutions that protect ecosystems and encouraged greater involvement from businesses and local communities. He identified climate change, overgrazing, and the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides as primary causes of the triple planetary crisis. Guterres warned that pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change are collectively pushing the planet toward becoming uninhabitable, but he also stressed that this trajectory is not predetermined.
Four years after the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Guterres noted that progress has been inconsistent and too slow. The 2022 agreement aimed to conserve 30% of the planet’s land and sea by 2030. Since then, nearly 90% of participating countries have set national biodiversity targets, with more than half developing national road maps. He described the Yerevan gathering as a critical moment to hold nations accountable midway through their commitments.
$30 spent on harm for every $1 on nature
Guterres highlighted a significant imbalance in global spending on nature. For every dollar invested in conservation, $30 is directed toward activities that damage it. In 2023 alone, industries harmful to nature received $7.3 trillion, including sectors like heavy industry, destructive agriculture, and fossil fuels. He urged governments to eliminate such subsidies permanently. Additionally, Guterres pointed to the Cali Fund, which invites companies benefiting from nature to contribute financially.
He stated that achieving biodiversity, climate, and land restoration goals will demand an annual investment of $571 billion in nature-based solutions by 2030, roughly 0.5% of global gross domestic product. However, biodiversity financing remains below half of the $200 billion annual target set under the framework. Guterres also pointed out that high debt levels, limited budgets, and an inequitable international financial system hinder developing nations’ capacity to invest in nature.
Current commitments safeguard only 26% of land
Existing pledges fall short of the 30% conservation target. If all current commitments are fulfilled, just 26% of terrestrial ecosystems and 12% of marine ecosystems would be protected by 2030. Since 2022, formal protection has expanded by an additional 1.3 million square kilometres of land and 6 million square kilometres of ocean. Guterres urged nations to shift from policies that harm nature to those that preserve it.
He called for greater participation from youth, civil society, women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, emphasizing that environmental degradation often impacts the most vulnerable populations hardest. Guterres welcomed the Yerevan Declaration’s promise to incorporate biodiversity into policies, budgets, and regulations. He stressed that biodiversity issues are intertwined with conflict, food security, disease, and climate change. The COP17 proceedings will commence in Yerevan on October 19.